Happiness Management

I have a confession to make: I'm in a good mood today. I know it's awful isn't it? What right do I have to feel this way? With everything that is wrong in the world today: violence, corruption, poverty, I should be showing a little more sensitivity.

It seems we've become a society of grumblers and worriers. We worry and grumble about the economy, health care, our careers, our health, and on and on. We are constantly concerned with the state of things. Sometimes the worries and frustrations stack so high they seem almost insurmountable.

Things are bad. The environment is a mess and getting worse. The cost of living is increasing faster than our salaries. Somewhere, someplace in the world, a group of people are plotting an act of violence, maybe even right here on our own soil. The healthcare system is stretched to its limit, and a significant portion of our population is reaching an age that will create an even greater burden.

So why the good mood?

The truth is, we dwell way too often on the negative. Maybe we get some weird masochistic satisfaction in exposing the downside of everything. Recently, a frustrated hockey fan called a local radio station to rant about Canadien's goaltender Carey Price. Price had been pulled from the net in a previous game for allowing three goals on eleven shots. Not stellar, granted, but the caller went on with some earnest to proclaim that Price was not welcome in his municipality of Cote St-Luc.

Not welcome, really? Frustration I can understand, but why the hate?

I don't wish to insert myself into this inane goalie debate, but honestly folks, it's just a hockey game. He's still just a kid, and yes he's struggling, but he didn't run over someone's dog or burn down the playground. Seems to me that there are plenty of other targets for anger in this world. I could come up with a few people who ought to be banned from my own neighborhood whose transgressions far outweigh letting in some bad goals.

To answer my own question, I'm in a good mood just because...I am. The sun is shining, I have a job, I have a wonderful family, I am relatively healthy, I know where my next meal is coming from. I feel secure in who I am. I am surrounded by exceptional people and live in a great city, in an incredible country.

Many of these things are true for all of us but we don't seem to give this good news as much balance as the bad news.

More than ever, what this troubled world needs are dreamers and visionaries. We need optimism, we need to imagine things can get better and, most importantly, we need to celebrate when they do.

If I've learned anything about life it's that the things you worry about most will probably never happen, but that unexpected tragedy will blindside you every time. The thing is, there's really no point in worrying about the bad stuff, it knows where you live and when the time comes it will find you.

So, when things are going great, even if it's just a good mood, enjoy it. It's a gift, don't ruin it by looking for the pricetag.

Cheers