From The Happiness Makeover by M.J. Ryan:
What being happy is about, I believe, is having a home base of contentment and well-being that you return to when the immediate crisis is over, rather than being stuck in chronic anger, worry or fear. It's about noticing what you can enjoy and appreciate about the rest of your life even as you face your challenges. It's about feeling empowered to take actions tat hopefully will improve the situation and enjoying yourself along the way. It's about creating the maximum possibilities for meaning or joy in the midst of the terrible thing.
This is spiritual courage – the willingness to choose to be happy in the face of grief or anger without denying or repressing our painful feelings. It's what Alfred Adler meant when he said, "there is a courage of happiness as well as a courage of sorrow." You shouldn't feel happy all the time – but are you courageous enough to feel as happy as you can?
