To live we must conquer incessantly; we must have the courage to be happy. --Henri-Frederic Amiel
I might offer "faith" as a substitute for the word "courage" above. A huge part of happiness, for me, includes freedom from worry. When I am applying my faith, I'm not worried.
When I was a church-goer, I had a wonderful "aha" moment when a beloved pastor said, "There's nothing you can do to make God love you any less, and there's nothing you can do to make God love you any more." I had heard the first part of that many times. The second part, however, was quite a jolt, as I had been raised in a religion wherein, metaphorically, one had to earn enough points to achieve God's favor and thereby get into heaven.
WOW! I could stop earning points (never enough) and just be me, just be happy, with nothing to prove. How awesome is that?!?! What a relief! Alas, this is not the dominant thinking in our culture or in most modern-day religions. To live a happy-with-myself life does take courage. I must "conquer incessantly" any negative thinking, a life-long practice. One of the most valuable questions I ask myself is "Who am I trying to impress in this situation?" When I'm headed down that path, I know it's time for a U-turn.
Happy and I know it,
Leta
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