You have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice.
You can't depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early on in my marriage. I realized that I couldn't rely on my husband as my source of happiness. I learned that my happiness depended on me and not my husband's actions. I learned that you have to choose to be happy.
You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within; it can't be forced by outside forces. So how do you choose happiness? The same way you choose to smile or choose to wear a certain outfit. You choose it because that's what you want to experience in your life.
You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair that you like and feel good. You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that you don't like or that don't fit well, right? So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don't make us feel good?
Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm) can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one can do that for us. If we let others get to us, influence our emotions - we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power.
We need to keep our feelings in check and not react automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don't dwell on what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
小题1:What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Choose to Be Happy | B．Choose Your Emotions |
| C．Pretend to Be Happy | D．Find Happiness |
小题2:The lesson the writer learned in her marriage is ________.
| A．she can depend on her husband to find happiness |
| B．balancing the relationship between the husband and wife is an art |
| C．one can’t rely on someone else to make himself or herself happy |
| D．happiness can be influenced by outside forces |
小题3:Why did the writer mention buying shoes?
| A．To use it as an example to show the importance of choosing to be happy. |
| B．To offer advice on how to choose comfortable shoes. |
| C．To compare choosing shoes and choosing an outfit. |
| D．To help to move to the next paragraph easily. |
小题4:The writer suggests that we should ________.
| A．let others control our feelings |
| B．respond immediately to others’ words |
| C．pay more attention to words than actions |
| D．hold back our feelings properly |