So how happy are we? No, we are not. We experience a burst of emotions, be it anger, sadness, happiness or any other. But what really matters is how we react to those feelings. We’ve all got some level of free will, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Sure, we can’t control every thought that pops into our heads, but we can decide what we do with it. And that’s where our power lies.

For instance, no one wakes up and says, “I choose to be unhealthy today,” but every choice — skipping the gym, reaching for that bag of chips — builds toward a lifestyle that makes one unhealthy. The same goes for happiness. It does not simply materialise, but takes place for a long time, and makes up thousands of unattended choices.

Happiness is like building a house. It’s not just a matter of putting one brick into a space and calling it a house. Year by year, brick by brick, you build and you build, until you have built a stable foundation that will allow joy to grow within you.

Free will is free

Ever find yourself trapped in a loop of endless worry? It’s not working, it’s sapping your energy, but it won’t let you stop. Sound familiar? Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Phew. If happiness were as simple as flipping on a mental switch, we’d all be skipping through life, worry-free. But the truth of the matter is, happiness is not something you can ‘get’, it is something you have to ‘get a handle’ on. And the good news? You don’t have to rely on willpower alone.

Here are some ways that can help you ‘create’ happiness.

Practise positivity

If trying........

© Dawn Young Magazine