Tommy Collison

Building on my Happiness post from last November, I was wondering what makes people happy.

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My mum often comments that I am rarely ‘down in the dumps’, to use her phrasing. I often wonder why this is.

I mean, why am I happier then the Joe Soap next door? Our lives can’t be that different, I mean, we both come from the same background, one of us isn’t better off then the other, his family doesn’t get on with each other any better/worse then mine does or anything like that. So why would I be happier then he is?

Two people (above, me and Joe Soap), look similar on the outside, no discernible differences. Yet one of us is happy and one isn’t.

It’s our attitude when good and bad things happen. If, by Rudyard Kipling has a line that I love.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

‘Good’ things and ‘Bad’ things don’t exist. ‘Good’ events and ‘Bad events’ are nonexistent.

There are only things, and there are only events. The rest is up to us.

Something happens. It’s our way of dealing with it, it’s what we do because of it, is what defines it.

There’s no Rice Krispies (sp?) for your breakfast. Something that’s commonly perceived as a bad thing. Now, depending on which way you look at it, this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Good: means you can finally get around to trying that granola your aunt made you that you’ve been meaning to try.

Bad: you’ve no Rice Krispies (sp?)

The point I’m making is that even though the bad will still be there (even with you having granola, there still won’t be any Rice Krispies (sp?)), you merely have to get into a certain mindset for the situation not to be so bad.

The power’s gone in the house and you’re going to miss the Ireland-France match.

Good: That book that’s been on your shelf for the past 18 months might possibly be opened

Bad: The obvious missing-of-the-match

Again, we shouldn’t immediately classify events as ‘good’ and ‘bad’. As Monty Python said, always look on the bright side of life and as the old proverb goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

So there you have it! Things are defined by how you see/react/deal with things. So, maybe next time something ‘bad’ happens, maybe you’ll think twice about it?

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Author’s Note: Is saying that missing the Ireland-France could be perceived as a good thing really something I should be doing today? :)