I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY

Not even the meanest circumstances can make us jealous,
self-pitying, or greedy unless we allow them to.
While we can't control all our experiences,
we can control our responses.
Unless we refuse the responsibility,
we are in charge of our own reactions.

Consider for example:
On the same street we can meet a man with no legs
who is happily serenely going about his business,
and another man who is cursing fate because his shoes are too tight.
We can meet a peaceful, contented old woman
who has known nothing but poverty,
and a well educated, beautifully dressed young woman
who is depressed because she can't afford a new car.
We can meet the drunken alchoholic slumped in a doorway
and his recovering brother or sister laughing
with a group of friends after an AA meeting.

We, all of us, can learn to live above our circumstances
if we're willing to alter our attitudes.

I am the master of my own reactions.
Today, I choose to enjoy the roses in spite of the thorns.