I’ve been told now, several times, actually, that I live in la-la land. Why? Because I’m happy.

I’m not upset about others comments, really, more intrigued. One thing that has become increasingly more evident since I woke up and began on this journey, is that the world, most of it anyway, is very unhappy. And this unhappy world doesn’t know how to deal with a smile, a laugh, and a generally “glass is half-full” kinda mentality.

Which is a shame.

This isn’t going to be a bitter rant about how I want to prove these people wrong, but more of a friendly story about how I changed my way of thinking. How I made my face learn to smile more often, and my heart laugh a little more.

You see, I used to be one of those people. The kind that would have looked upon a giddy person and rolled my eyes. I always portrayed a certain air of happiness, but deep inside, a rotting evil chewed on my soul. And I secretly despised these “happy people.” I would have (and probably actually did) tell them that they weren’t living in my world.

And truth be told, I was right. We weren’t sharing the same world.

One of the single most remarkable changes meditation and lots and lots of reading about the journey of others has taught me is that being happy doesn’t mean we don’t have bad days. I still have them. All the time. It’s about choosing to shift our focus, attention, and energy to something else. For instance, I was having a frustrating day about a week ago and came home and took a walk. I looked up into the sky and saw a stunning sunset. And I smiled. And I thought, how in the world could I ever forget how beautiful and truly wonderful life really is.

The fact of the matter is, we are going to come face to face with adversity every single day, and words or actions are going to threaten to plummet us into the depths of despair. But, you see, we have the control to give those actions, those words, these adversities meaning. Let us take control, be strong, and choose to take these harsh moments as they are – moments. Let us learn what we can from them and move on. And, most importantly, let us relish in the beauty that surrounds us – a sunset, a smile on the face of a loved one, a kind gesture from a friend.

The next time you have hit below rock bottom, look around, look hard, find the silver lining. I beg of you, not for me, but for your own sanity, your own peace of mind.

If this way of thinking means I live in la-la land, well, I’m happy to be here. And I ask, won’t you join me?

Until next time, Happy Living!