"I Can Be Happy"

Last night when I went to bed I was so sad. I seemed to be fine all day when I was busy but as the day went on I became more tired and then my thoughts just went to a feeling of despair. What causes me to go from being alright to in the toilet? This morning I picked up a little book called, "You Can Be Happy No Matter What", by Richard Carlson. As I began reading the Foreword by Dr. Wayne Dyer, he says, "Our circumstances don't define us; they represent our unique curriculum - our tests, challenges, and opportunities for personal growth, acceptance, and detachment. Our success as a human being does not lie in our collections of possessions or accomplishments. It does not lie in the details of our predicament, but in how we deal with what we have and how we face our challenges, how we transform our unique curriculum into growth and into a life filled with love."  That made me realize that most of the time I let my circumstances in life define who I am. Since Kamber passed away I have felt like every day I had to fight to keep going and not give in to the sadness that her death had caused me. Then with my hip replacement and some other trials, it has been hard to pull myself up and continue on. I can remember as a child feeling like, when I get this new toy I will be happy. Then as a teenager, when I can drive and date, I will be happy. I remember my Dad telling me to stop wishing my life away, to be present and in the moment and choose to be happy now. I'm almost sixty and I'm still trying to find that magic potion, that pill or herbal supplement that will take the pain away and I can THEN be happy. I guess it has always been right here inside of me, the ability to choose to be happy instead of in that dark place. I have within me  the resources to live a happy, fulfilled life regardless of my challenges I face, at least that's what the book tells me I can do.