Children are happiness experts. Who else can sit in a poopy diaper, stinking to high heavens, while playing with a cardboard box and a rock and have a fabulous time all the while.

What Happiness is NOT!

• Happiness is not the lack of sadness, fear or fatigue. In fact, happiness happens among these.
• Happiness is not an emotion or a warm fluffy feeling.
• Happiness does not come at certain level of money, certain location, number of shoes.
• Happiness cannot be bought, worn or eaten.
• Happiness will not happen immediately.
• Authentic happiness cannot be faked.

I define happiness as: a way of thinking, an attitude of current contentment with a vision towards future success interconnected with fulfillment, connectivity and love.

Sure, sometimes life around us just SUCKS! But external stressors, social pressure, and outside influences only partially contribute to unhappiness. Look at how different people handle the same external circumstances with different results. What's the difference between them? Well, of course, someone in every decade of time has been trying to reason and rationalize this...Birth orders, personal dispositions, nurture vs nature, hard skills vs soft skills, etc.

I truly believe, a positive inner environment manifests outwardly. I'm not alone in this.

• Garbage in, garbage out
• Honey attracts more flies than vinegar
• Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get (Dale Carnegie)
• Misery love company (Publilis Syrus)
• How bitter a thing it is to look at happiness through another man's eyes (William Shakespeare)
• The greater part of any happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances (Martha Washington)
• A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows (St Francis of Assisi)
• A diamond is a chunk of coal made good under pressure
• You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you (James Allen)
• Live simply, Expect little, Give much, Fill your life with love, Scatter sunshine, Forget self, Think of others, Do as you would be done by, Try this for 1 week and you will be surprised (Norman Vincent Peale)

(WARNING: I'm a quote fanatic, maybe more than that. I honestly admit scanning Pinterest for hours absorbed in Quotes section. Check out my INSPIRATION GALLERY for my own quote pins)

Ready to find a ray of happiness today. Do the following exercise:

First, realize your unhappiness (what is making you miserable?). This does not mean totally falling apart into a gummy pile of slime filled with blubbery tears.
Simply say to yourself, "I am unhappy because ________________________ is contribute to my negative point of view."

Second, take responsibility. Stop the blame game, take ownership.
More self-talk..."My happiness is my (state of mind/emotional well-being/thought patterns). I have the power to choose. And today, I choose _________________."

Repeat often. Positive affirmations change negative-thought patterns. Daily mantras, prayer/mediation and scriptures combined with positive thinking do not take away pain, bad things and harsh circumstances. But, they do help you more prepared to deal with challenges.

Last, watch for results.

You just might end up happy!

(and remember...you were never created to live defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed, depressed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious so embrace the glorious mess that you are!)

Be Well, my Friend!