Lately I have been wondering why some people are so miserable. I’m not talking about the occasional bad mood or the person that has been through hell and back either. I mean the people that are so unhappy that it’s hard to even be around them. The people that have good things going for them, but either can’t see it or choose not to see it. Instead, they choose to be hopelessly unhappy. And even worse, they don't like seeing anyone else happy. We all know someone that fits this description: a friend, coworker or relative. So why are they so disconsolate? Why are they choosing to live like this?

I remember the first time I read the quote *happiness is a choice. "I thought to myself,"yeah right. If only it was that easy." But come to find out, it’s true. Happiness is a mindset. An action. It is a choice we make. And sadly, Americans are the worst about choosing NOT to be happy. We have SO MUCH to be grateful for, starting with freedom, yet we live a life of constantly wanting more. That freedom we have includes happiness. In this country, you can determine how you want to live your life. You choose who you want to become, marry, and worship. But then it is also up to you to make it happen. Playing the victim and blaming others for your circumstances is also your choice, but a lousy one to make. There are so many opportunities available to us, but it is up to us to take advantage of them.

There are many ways we can choose to be happier. First, put yourself in a better position. That may be the job you are working or the friends you choose to be around. And believe me, misery loves company. You have to be careful who you allow into your close circle. We are not always able to completely rid a person from our life, but we certainly can limit it. You can control who spend most of your time with. From personal experience, I can tell how easy it is for a friend to bring a friend down. Their constant pity party is contagious. Be careful with this one. It’s easier to pull a person down than to pull them up. I remember this example from church camp. The pastor stood on a chair and people could easily pull him off but it was very difficult to pull them up with him on the chair.

So why are so many people so miserable? They are the reason. These people are choosing to only see what is wrong in their life and ignore the positive. These people can be very toxic. They are never satisfied and usually they have a problem with selfishness. They want everyone to listen to their sob story and want others to feel sorry for them, yet never care to ask about how things are going in your life. The best thing to do is pray for them. Be careful you are NOT enabling them either. It is really hard to tell someone what they need to hear, but if you cannot tell them, you are not being a true friend either. Sadly, there is a big chance that by telling them what they need to hear they will no longer want to be around you. That is sad and their loss. It is their choice and you can do nothing but respect it.