Activity

July 14th Hazelden Thought for the Day

Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.
—Alice Meyvell

It’s thought that Abe Lincoln once said, “We’re as happy as we make up our minds to be.” In other words, we decide to be happy. Bad weather, lost toys, broken plans, even angry friends don’t have to ruin our own happiness unless we let them. We’re always in control of our own thoughts and feelings, and happiness is a feeling we can choose even when others around us have chosen to be angry or sad. Even when the day is gloomy and none of our plans are working out, we can still be cheerful if we decide to be. How lucky we are that someone else can’t decide for us how to feel. We’d be nothing more than robots if that were true.

Am I ready to make this day a happy one?

From Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.