Happiness & Responsibility

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. ~ Kahlil Gibran

Today friends I want to talk about the answer to a very simple question, who is responsible for your happiness? The answer of course is that you are. I’ll go even further and ask you whose happiness are you responsible for besides your own? If you have children, or others who are solely dependent upon you for their care, then you have some responsibility there, but beyond that I’d be bold enough to say no one. Not your partner, certainly not your parents or your coworkers, your friends or the clerk at the local grocery store. Yet how often do we reduce our own personal happiness in order to try to keep someone else happy?

Now let’s be clear, I’m not saying you should be utterly selfish and unconcerned for others happiness, not saying that at all. Absolutely, whenever the opportunity presents itself, as long as it doesn’t diminish us, we should help, be kind or try to make others happier. But that opportunity does not impart upon us any responsibility for their overall happiness. Likewise, in our relationships and this is especially important with partners, we should be giving of ourselves, cognizant of others needs and kind. However, at the end of the day it is our partner’s responsibility for our partner’s happiness, not ours.

Some of you may think this sounds selfish or cruel, but in reality you cannot make another person happy. You can give them everything they need, remove obstacles, give them support, but in the end, it is how each one of us perceives our world and chooses to accept it, that determines whether or not we’re happy. We make a decision, each and every day, as to whether or not we are going to be happy today or not. Without a doubt depression, which is a biochemical illness, can make it impossible, life can hand us mountains of issues that make it difficult, but in the end it is our responsibility to make the changes necessary, and choose an attitude that will allow us to be happy. So take on that responsibility today and have a happy day my friends. ~ Rev Kane

About Michael Kane

Michael Kane is a writer, photographer, educator, speaker, adventurer and a general sampler of life. His books on hiking and poetry are available in soft cover and Kindle on Amazon.

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