Seventh in the series letters to my kids…
To be happy?
I saw this article and thought it would be great to share with you guys. I know that sometimes – especially as a teenager it is easy to get unhappy. I’ve been there – I know :p
The thing about happiness though is that it isn’t something that someone brings you or something that a situation provides you. Happiness is something that you create. It is an emotion that requires your participation to exist. It is just like everything else in life, if you ignore it – it will go away.
I wanted to share this article below because it talks about the things that middle age adults like your Mom and I think about when we think about the things we can do to affect our mood, behavior, and appreciation in life. For you as teenagers, it may not make every situation easier to bear or bring you instant happiness. In the long run though, I mean in the eighty or more years that you will care about living a happy life, these are things that matter. If you get really good at living your life without the things below, you will be able to make a difference for the eighty or more years of life you have to live.
No one ever shared that with me when I was your age and figuring it all out for myself kind of sucked. I don’t want you to have to deal with that and start living your happy life now!
Love,
Dad