Find Happiness Everywhere

I have received quite a number of emails form friends telling me that I have such an exciting life here in Italy in contrast to their dull life in the Philippines. It seems to point out that excitement can only be found in new or exotic experiences or places. I don’t think so. Life is exciting everywhere. One doesn’t have to be in a faraway place like Italy to have an exciting life. When I was in the Philippines I had an equally exciting life.

The main reason why I feel that I have such an exciting life is I am deeply convinced that there is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day. Everyday is as important as the day we were born, although we often fail to recognize it because we usually focus on our problems than on our blessings. Like yours my life here is also actually routine. I get up at 6 am, I take a bath, I change my clothes, I go to the chapel, I eat breakfast, I brush my teeth, I go to school, I listen to my teacher, I go back home after class, I eat my lunch, I have siesta, then do household chores, I go back to the chapel, then take dinner, then go to the recreation room, then do my homework, then sleep. This routine is repeated everyday. Yet I feel that I still have an exciting life because I chose it.

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We need to make it our goal
to find happiness in everyday things
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I choose to be happy everyday. Come to think of it, sometimes your happiness is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile is the source of your happiness too. So smile and be happy. Or be happy and smile. Life is beautiful despite the headaches and heartaches we have to face. And yes I have problems and concerns too. I have headaches and heartaches too. But no headache can ever quench our passion for life. And no heartache can even crush our passion for love. Try to look back into your past. I’m sure that the moments when you felt that you were truly and extremely happy were the moments when you did things out of love. Love and be happy.

Well, I can almost hear you say that it is all easier said than done. But let me quote Vincent Van Gogh: “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” You say to yourself: I have such a dull and boring life. Then it’s dull and boring already. But if you say: I have such a happy and exciting life, and then you go out and prove it. You can then look at yourself in the mirror and say: I never smiled this sweetly before.

We need to make it our goal to find happiness in everyday things – in the first face we see in the mirror every morning, in a picture frame, in a flower, in a call from a friend, in a favorite song, in an email, in a careful driver, in a tasty lunch, in a child’s smile. Our world is crammed with happiness waiting to be recognized. Today is our day. Let us make it beautiful. Let us be happy, that it may be beautiful.