Choose Happiness

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – plain, yet profound words from Abraham Lincoln. Before scientific theories and behavioral therapy, before focus groups and social experiments, our sixteenth president summarized this most basic concept of a happy life in one short and simple sentence. It is the foundation of a positive attitude, which is directly connected to our emotional and physical health. Our thoughts and behaviors can create stress, wreaking havoc on our immune system and making us more vulnerable to a variety of medical conditions. The first step in having a more positive attitude is to realize it is a choice. We cannot always control stressors and problems, but we can control our response to them. Since we have the choice, choose happiness.