Why not make yourself happy?

I like a small shopping center located not far from where I live. Included in the mix of little shops are a handy hardware store, a quaint restaurant that I like to frequent, and a reliable auto repair shop. (I can actually drop off my car for an oil change and get in a nice 60-minute walk roundtrip from my house.) The convenience of this shopping area means that I visit this neighborhood a lot.

Now directly opposite from the parking lot of this shopping area is a residential house. And posted in really big letters right over their garage are the following words: "Most People Are About As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be." I smile every time I see it---and I see it often.

Is it true? Are we all just about as happy as we choose to be? Could it really be that simple? We hear and see ads all of the time assuring us we'll be happy when we--retire with enough money--find the perfect house (or bed or car or whatever)--simplify our lives. You name it. There appears to be a remedy for happiness for just about everyone out there. (I admit that I have accumulated quite a few books with some reference to happiness in the title.) Our current society is built on the premise that we have unfulfilled needs--that can only be met by whatever society is trying to "sell" us. No good can come from comparing our lives to others--but it just comes naturally to us, doesn't it?

What I find particularly interesting about the quote over the garage is that it has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Having just watched the new Lincoln movie that's out, I can see that Mr. Lincoln did not exactly live a life that would promote happiness. He and his wife struggled to find happiness throughout their married life. There is even a point in the movie when he tells his wife something along the lines of "We need to try to be happier."

So making up our minds to be happy has little to do with our circumstances, and more to do with our attitude. I know that most of us know this--but it is just too easy to forget. Remember when our moms told us "It takes more muscles in our face to frown than to smile"? Today, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) which is a psychological practice that uses language processing to consciously change the way we respond to reality puts it this way. From Mark Shepard, a certified master NLP practitioner:

"You can make yourself happy, or you can make yourself miserable. The amount of effort is the same. So if it takes the same amount of effort, why not make yourself happy?"

Happily marching forth!