Find light in the beautiful sea
I choose to be happy
You and I, you and I
We’re like diamonds in the sky.
These are lyrics from Rihanna’s song “Diamonds.”
Now, I’ve heard this song a million times. When you listen to Top 40 radio long enough, songs you once liked quickly turn into songs you can’t hit “skip” on fast enough. (Looking at you, Pharrell’s “Happy.”)
Honestly, Diamonds isn’t even one of my favorites but it came on my Pandora the other day while I was doing things around the house, and that one line…
“I choose to be happy.”
…it hit differently this time.
Why did it catch me this time when it hadn’t the previous million times? Maybe because it’s a message I keep circling back to lately: choosing happiness.
You know we’ve talked about happiness and awesomeness in previous blog posts and I love talking about both. I mean, who doesn’t want to live in the world of awesome and happy?
As you might recall, I said that if you are happy, you are more productive, more creative… just more in everything positive.
But let’s pause – what do I actually mean when I say happy?
If you won a million dollars today, you’d probably say you were happy. Of course you would – you’re an instant millionaire!
If, on the other hand, you were in an accident and became a paraplegic, you’d probably say you were not happy.
But here’s the wild part…
When asked about their level of happiness one year after an event like that, both lottery winners and paraplegics rated their happiness levels about the same.
Wait, what!?
A millionaire and someone who lost the use of their legs are equally happy?
That seems impossible, right? But it’s true.
So maybe we need a better definition of happiness.
How about this one (and I love this):
Happiness is the joy we feel as we pursue our potential.
That’s from Shawn Achor in Before Happiness, a book I read a few years ago and am re-reading now and highly recommend.
It’s not about winning the lottery. Sure, that brings a ton of pleasure, but it doesn’t necessarily bring happiness.
A kid getting a popsicle feels a rush of pleasure, maybe even shouts, “I’m the happiest girl in the whole wide world!” But that kind of “happy” melts about as fast as the popsicle does.
True happiness? That’s deeper.
Let me tell you a story.
Years ago, when I was running a retail store, one of my department managers was one of the best around. His department was one of the top producers in the division. However, as successful as he was – and everyone viewed him as such, his life was a little chaotic.
One night, after an argument that continued as he was driving, he flipped his car less than 500 yards from home. He was thrown out and would never walk again.
Tragic.
Or… maybe not.
Because when I talked to him later, he told me – without hesitation – that the accident was the best thing that ever happened to him.
And he meant it.
The energy in his voice was contagious. He takes his son to motocross races. He drives – yes, he drives – with a car modified for him. He’s happy.
His joy comes from pursuing his potential…that’s happiness.
So when I say “Choose to be happy,” I’m not talking about ignoring problems or pretending everything’s perfect. I’m talking about mindset.
Being happy doesn’t mean you don’t have stress or setbacks. We all do. Sometimes daily!
It’s about what you think during those setbacks. It’s about believing you have the power to do something about them and imagining a positive outcome even when things look rough.
You’ve heard of the glass-half-full and glass-half-empty people. But there’s a third group we don’t talk about enough:
the ones who notice the pitcher of water sitting right next to the glass.
Change your thinking…just a little…and the possibility of happiness grows.
So yeah—thank you, Rihanna, for sneaking a little wisdom into a song I thought I was sick of. Maybe I just needed to hear it one more time, at the right time:
“I choose to be happy.”
That’s the challenge for all of us today.
Keep creating an environment that allows success – and happiness – to happen.
Quote of the Day:
“Happiness is the joy we feel as we pursue our potential.” – Shawn Achor
One Question:
What would it look like for you to choose happiness today?
MattMunnell.com 