Daily writing prompt

What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?

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A common misconception people have about happiness is that it only happens when life is perfect.

It doesn’t.

Happiness is not the reward you get when everything finally lines up the way you want it. Happiness comes from a mindset. More often than we like to admit, happiness is something we choose.

I know people who think an entire day is ruined because someone else said or did the wrong thing. And I always wonder, “Why? Why does what someone else does get to dictate your happiness?”

My mom always said that to take offense is a choice. I believe that more and more the older I get. There are loads of people walking around constantly offended, constantly frustrated and, not surprisingly, not very happy.

I don’t pretend my life is perfect. It isn’t. There are frustrations. There are disappointments. There are days when things go wrong and other people throw clouds my way, obscuring the beauty that surrounds me.

But when I look around at what I actually have, why would I choose anything other than happiness?

I have a beautiful, talented wife who loves me. I have two great dogs. I have an awesome daughter who has given me two beautiful grandchildren. I have three great stepchildren, one of whom has also given us two beautiful grandchildren. I have the best friend I could ever hope for. I have a good house to live in that keeps me safe, warm and dry. I have a job I love doing and that I’m good at. I have a wonderful car that’s comfortable and gets me where I need to go.

And the cherry on top — I have shelves of bourbon to enjoy as I sit back and cherish all that I have.

Of course, I could choose to focus on what I don’t have. I could stare at the clouds instead of the blessings. I could let the irritating people, the frustrating moments and the garbage of the world become the center of my attention.

But that’s a choice.

And it’s a choice I try every day not to make.

I want to choose the beauty.

The Bible tells me to keep my mind on things that are pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. I don’t think that’s “pie in the sky” thinking. I don’t think it’s some Pollyanna command to ignore the ugly things in life. There are real struggles and real frustrations in the world, and I believe the Lord wants us to acknowledge those things and work to make them better.

But He also knows something about us. If all of our attention stays on the garbage of the world, then our hearts and souls eventually become mired in that garbage.

It’s a little like living life as Oscar the Grouch. “I love trash.” That’s how a lot of people live — down in the trash of life, surrounded by complaints, offenses, frustrations and grievances.

The opposite might be Elmo — always upbeat, almost sickeningly so.

I think I’d rather be Grover.

Grover is kind of the forgotten Muppet, but think about him. He isn’t always spouting happiness. He isn’t pretending nothing ever goes wrong. But he also isn’t downbeat and bitter. He’s usually cool, kind and steady. He seems happy without having to announce it every five seconds.

That’s the kind of happiness I want.

Not fake happiness. Not forced happiness. Not happiness that depends on perfect circumstances.

A steady happiness. A grateful happiness. A happiness that notices the clouds but chooses the beauty anyway.

And if I can fuel a little more of that feeling in the people and world around me, then that seems like a pretty good way to live.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.