A toddler can walk around with a full diaper and a smile. That might be a graphic representation of our argument, but it probably hit home. Acceptance leads to contentment. Your current circumstances may or may not be wonderful, but they have nothing to do with the fact that you can choose how you feel at every moment.
The toddler doesn't care that he is testing the capacity limits of his diaper. He has decided to chew on your dog's tail or play with his toes instead. That's true contentment. He didn't have much control over what happened as far as filling his diaper was concerned. What he could control was what he did next. So he decided to do something that interested him.
Comparing your wonderful brain and self-awareness to a child is a bit of a stretch. Even so, there are parallels that can be drawn.
When the child had something happen that maybe didn't make him feel the best, he let his instincts take over. They led him to do something else that took his mind off his diapers full.
You can employ the same basic strategy if you want more happiness. You stop focusing on the negative and instead, find something positive. There's only one thing you have to do.
Do Just One Thing That Makes You Smile, Laugh and Feel Happy
That's it. Just do one thing. How does the old saying go? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That's the mindset here. When something happens to you that isn't that favorable, don't try to change the world. You certainly don't want to obsess over that negative experience. The smart thing to do is focus on one activity you know makes you feel good.
Bike riding, book reading, or baking might make you happy. Maybe you enjoy singing, skating, or stamp collecting. Perhaps quilting, quoits, or quad biking is your cup of tea.
Whatever it is that puts a smile on your face, do it. In the face of adversity, contentment is a choice. Do what makes you happy. Choose one simple thing that brings you joy, and get busy doing it.
If you want to prepare ahead of time for unforeseen circumstances that may cause a negative emotional response, make this part of your morning ritual. Begin each day by doing one thing that brings you happiness. It could be doing something nice for someone else. Perhaps taking a moment to count your blessings puts a smile on your face.
Make it simple. You want this to be a quick and easy dose of happiness. Do this every morning, and you'll start your day off on the right foot emotionally. This "one good thing" practice has a way of magically leading to less sadness and more happiness in your life.
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