Happiness is a Choice by Michael Josephson   In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, "Why do you think we were put on earth?" Charlie answers, "To make others happy." Lucy replies, "I don’t think I’m making anyone happy," and then adds, "but nobody’s making me very happy either. Somebody’s not doing his job!" People like Lucy are so sure happiness is a matter of getting something that they ask not what they can do for others, but what others can and should do for them. They usually feel shortchanged or cheated. They become so preoccupied with what they don’t have that they can’t enjoy what they do have. What’s more, they don’t realize one of the best ways to be happy is to experience the joy and sense of self-worth of making others happy. Dennis Prager, in his book Happiness Is a Serious Problem, argues that it’s human nature to want and feel we need more. The problem is, the quest for more is endless because we can always add more to whatever we have. As a result, the Lucys' of the world often live in an "if only" world that keeps them one step away from happiness: "If only I could get this raise, make this sale, pay off my debts, or win this game, I’d be happy." Abraham Lincoln understood that happiness is essentially a way of looking at one’s life. "A person is generally about as happy as he’s willing to be," he said. Thus, we’re more likely to experience happiness if we realize it’s not just getting what we want. It’s learning to want what we get.

      My wonderful wife of almost forty years has always been a HUGE Abraham Lincoln fan.  I believe that one of her fondest memories in our married life was the first time we visited Washington, DC and took in the awesome Lincoln Memorial.  We have almost as many pictures of Lincoln around our house as we do of our kids and she was even more tied to Lincoln!
       The next year we visited Gettysburg for the second time and the enormity of what had gone on there and what Lincoln must have gone thru as he led his country in a tremendous battle for unity struck us like a lightning bolt.  Certainly not happy times for him or our country.  But he had an amazing perspective and will always be remembered for restoring some semblance of order to a very chaotic and unhappy time in American history.
       Before I read this piece by Michael Josephson on his Character Counts website, I must admit I had never thought of Lucy and Abraham Lincoln in the same stream of thought.  Charles Schultz hit the nail on the head - and so did Lincoln.  No doubt it's difficult to be happy all of the time, but if we work at it a little bit I think most of us would be amazed by the effect it would have in our lives.  Give it a whirl!  I know I'm gonna try a little harder.

Have a great week!
Coach W.