Jonathan's wisdom on being happy

Why are so many people unhappy with their lives?

Two possible reasons:

1. They are unappreciative little shits.
2. They are worrywarts.

I'm a happy person. You wouldn't believe it if you see me but it's true. I am cursed with a resting bitch face, but inside I'm very positive.

How do I manage it? One quick and easy way is to imagine all the ways my life could be even worse than it is. For example, I might be afflicted with an incurable terminal illness, but at least I was born in a developed economy with access to healthcare. If a baby is born with the same disease as me but in Africa, they will face a terrible fate.

Similarly, school might be stressful, but at least my father is paying my way through university, and I don't have to worry about finances on top of studies, unlike those who self-fund their education.

This is what I mean by appreciation. There's a huge element of luck in life, and bad things happen to everyone. It's important to keep things in perspective and understand that although the situation might not be ideal, it could be a whole lot worse. Then you'll realise that hey, you're not so badly off after all, and thank your lucky stars for rescuing you from circumstances that would have been far more bleak.

As I said, there's a huge element of luck in life, and bad things are bound to happen at some point. What sets happy people apart from unhappy people is their response. Unhappy people will harp on the negatives, and their thoughts will circle round and round the so-called problem. This does nothing except drain them of all their mental energy, making them frustrated and irritable.

In contrast, happy people will first ask themselves: "Is there anything I can do about this? Is this situation within my control?" Because if it's not, why bother stressing over it? Just adapt as best as you can, then forget about it and move on with your life.

And if the situation is indeed within your control, then go straight into fixing the issue. Don't waste time overthinking things as it'll only serve to complicate matters, and complexity is the antithesis of happiness.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: No one and no thing can make you unhappy. You make you unhappy. Feelings are a choice, so if you want to be happy, it's as simple as making the decision to be so.