I believe happiness isn't a choice but instead an option. Basically something you cannot always have complete control over, because, you never have complete control over your emotions. Happiness can also be a mental condition such as being Bipolar, which causes you to alter your emotions uncontrolable. Which also proves it is not ALWAYS a choice. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.
Life is much like a journey. As we follow the pathway we come to forks in the road and we must make the decision as to which way to go. Should we continue our education, have a child without the benefit of marriage, which career path should I take, will this man/woman be faithful, if my friend "George" is a druggie does it matter to me? Each decision we make has some impact on our happiness. These life-changing decisions are the decisions that impact our lives and contribute to our happiness or unhappiness. Thomas Kindade said (and I believe), "At some deep level, consciously or unconsciously, you have to decide that you want to be joyful." Richard Wagner, another wise man said, "Joy is not in things; it is in us." We must look beyond what we have, where we go, what we do to the simple beauty of life that offers us happiness daily. The laughter of a child, the flight of a butterfly, the cooing of a dove, the hug of a dear one, getting in the fast moving lane at the grocery store, so many daily things are there to offer us happiness if only we take the time to recognize them. If we are too busy or too rushed or too hardened by our daily living struggles (school, work, cleaning etc), we may never see the happiness that is available to each of us daily. We choose how we spend our time and what we see. The millionaire can be unhappy while the man living under the bridge can be content with his life and happy. It is how we view the world.
