“Enlightenment comes when we realize happiness is a choice, sadness is a choice, anger is a choice, love is a choice. Every state, emotion, and mood available to Man can be generated at will in our mind.”  ~ Brendon Burchard
 
Challenges happen to everyone in life.  If you truly look around, everyone has challenges in life – no one is immune.  We want to be happy and we have these thoughts about what will make us happy and these thoughts tend to be in the future.  We believe we will be happy when we make X amount of money,  when we marry Mr. or Mrs. Right, when we have children, when we retire, or any other number of other ‘when this happens’ scenarios.  But the truth is there is only now and the only time to be happy is now and you are the only person who can make yourself happy – because happiness comes from within and it is a choice. 
 
Brendon Burchard points outs that we have a choice how to react to all situations: we can choose happiness, anger, sadness or love.  The biggest gift I have learned in life is that things don’t happen to me – it is simpler than that – things happen.  I get to choose my response and I choose to learn from life’s challenges and be happy for the opportunity to learn.  Being angry and upset only breeds more negative energy and it makes the situation worse and causes suffering.  The sooner I let go and move on, the better off I am physically, mentally and spiritually. I choose to let go of blaming others and live from a place of peace and happiness. Each time I let go, I get a little lighter on the road to enlightenment.
 
Are you happy?
 
What can you do to bring more happiness into your life?

“These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower there is no more; in the leafless root there is no less. Its nature is satisfied, and it satisfies nature, in all moments alike. But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Nature is our greatest teacher.  The above quote by Emerson reminds us about mindfulness and living in the present moment.  The rose can teach us how to live.  The bud doesn’t worry about the future and what is life is going to be like when it blooms.  The bloom doesn’t fret about the future and what will happen when it dies.  And the leaf-less plant doesn’t regret the mistakes made during its lifetime. 
 
We should live our life more like the rose.  Enjoy today, and this moment, for it is all we have.  If we are a bud, embrace the stage and all it has to offer. The rose doesn’t compare itself to other roses.  It doesn’t say, "when I bloom, then life will be better" or worry about the mistakes it made as a bud.  If we are in full bloom, then enjoy today with your family and friends.  Don’t worry about wrinkles, looking younger or what might happen in the future.  The rose doesn’t complain about the rain, the sun or the wind, it accepts the present moment. Make the most of the sun in your life and enjoy the rain and all life has to offer. Accept whatever happens in your life and move with the winds of life as the rose moves with the wind.  The rose doesn’t resist the wind and do everything in its power to stand tall, it dances with the wind.  You will have many things happen in your life – you get to choose to go with the flow or resist.  Life is a gift, make each day precious!
 
Emerson shares that the rose was living in the present moment, it has no past or no future.  Man postpones or laments the past and misses the richness of his life.

What is your interpretation of Emerson's quote?

How do you relate personally to the quote?