I choose to stay happy

22 Oct

Happiness — such a small word,

Yet it carries the weight of everything we long for.

For years, I thought it happened to me —

When things went right, when people were kind,

When life felt easy.

But life doesn’t always go that way, does it?

Some days test you.

Some moments break you.

Some people disappoint you.

And I realized —

If I keep waiting for happiness to arrive,

I might wait forever.

So I made a choice.

A simple, powerful choice —

I choose to stay happy.

Because happiness is not luck — it’s a discipline.

You have to choose it.

Like working out,

You have to stay present with it,

Move with it,

Make decisions to protect it.

Now I see beauty in small things —

The warmth of the morning sun,

A good cup of tea,

A call from an old friend,

The peace of a quiet evening.

Happiness isn’t about ignoring pain.

It’s about refusing to let pain

Steal the beauty of the present moment.

So when life throws its storms,

I remind myself —

I can’t control everything,

But I can control how I feel.

And I choose to stay happy.

Because happiness is not something you find,

It’s something you practice, every single day.

By Srusti Pattnayak (Hornsby Achievers Toastmasters)

A Letter from your District Director