Christian Living

Who's Holding the Keys to Your Happiness?

by Ezekiel Olukolajo
01/23/23
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WHO’S HOLDING THE KEYS TO YOUR HAPPINESS?

Introduction: As an individual, the most dangerous state you can put yourself in life, is to let something or someone else hold the keys to your happiness. One harsh reality about life is that things won’t always go the way you would love to see them; life isn’t always fair, and no one should ever expect life to be fair! Life is full of challenges; the paths of life are full of ups and downs, so things won’t always be rosy. All the same, everyone desires and has the right to be happy, so it’s important to understand how to live a happy life as individuals.   

The reason we have a lot of extremely unhappy people everywhere is because many people either depend on others, or look for happiness from other people or thing. Until you learn the vital lesson to not let something or someone else, no matter who they are, hold the keys to your happiness, there’s no way you can enjoy life to the fullest as an individual. Please listen to me, the responsibility for your happiness is one you should never delegate to someone else, you’ve got to take personal responsibility, and be in control of the switch to your own happiness.

As we all strive to enjoy full and free life, there are certain secrets of happiness I would like to share in this series.

Secret #1 – First Thing First

True happiness in life cannot be found outside of God. Trying to find happiness without God, is like trying to drive a car without the engine. No man is responsible for his own existence, we all owe our existence and breath to the sovereign God. A river that forgets or disconnects from its source is bound to dry up. As human beings, God is not only our source, He is the reason we exist and live. Yes, God made us for His own purpose and pleasure. Revelation 4:11 says “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”. If we focus on those things that bring pleasure to God, our lives will always be full of joy.  

Relationship with God is the bedrock of true happiness. There’s a vacuum in man’s life that ONLY God can fill. In an attempt to find peace, satisfaction and meaning in life, a lot of people have tried to chase after things that could bring them happiness at the expense of God, but still, many of them are often miserable, depressed and even die unhappy. No one should make the terrible mistake of thinking that something or someone else can fill or take the place of God in his or her life. Wise men seek God first, that’s the secret of true happiness in life.  

Secret #2 – Invest in other People’s Happiness

One great secret of living a happy life is to seek the happiness of other people. Unfortunately, many people have failed to realize this. Life is not just about you and you alone, you exist, not only yourself, but also for others. The earlier you discovered this truth, the better for you.   

When it comes to investing in what makes other people happy, you’ve got to be intentional. By seeking the good and happiness of others you’re simply taking charge of your own happiness. It has been said that “Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” (James M. Barrie). This is so true! When you focus more on investing in the happiness of people around you, there’s no way you won’t reap returns of happiness yourself. People who spend all their lives seeking their own happiness usually end up being miserable, and even die unhappy.

Let your actions put smiles on the faces of other people; let your words bring comfort unto those who’re hurting; let your life bring sunshine to someone whose life is gloomy. The more you do these, the more you experience true happiness. Remember, "To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world" (Dr. Seuss). You will be surprised that a little act of kindness you show might be the ray of hope that’s keeping someone going; you will be surprised to know that a little care you show might be the reason someone has not given up on life, yes! Never let a day pass without making someone happy, and you’ll never sleep unhappy each day.

Secret #3 – Manage Your Expectations about Life

In life, it is good to have great expectations. It is good to have high hopes and dreams about life and any ventures you’re involved in as an individual. However, to live a happy life, it is important you learn to manage your expectations at all times, otherwise, you cannot be free from the pains of frustrations and large scale disappointments.

Managing expectations in whatever relationships or situation you find yourself as a person, is something that will assist you to cope and not lose your happiness when the outcomes aren’t aligning with what you had anticipated. For instance, the reason a lot of people are frustrated and unhappy in their marriage relationships is because they entered into marriage with unrealistically high expectations and hopes. Many people got married for the wrong reasons and so their expectations were baseless from the outset. Some people are under the illusion that once they get married, certain problems they’re having as singles, would be automatically solved. This is part of the wrong reasons to get into a marriage relationship, you don’t get married to solve a problem.    

Managing expectations relates both to yourself and others alike. When you expect too much from people and you let your happiness depend on what they do or fail to do, you’re simply putting yourself in a very difficult situation. The hurt you feel through disappointments can be devastating if you fail to manage your expectations as a person. In your interactions with people, remember to always leave some allowances for disappointments, and you will not be frustrated in case they fail.

Ezekiel Olukolajo
(c) Copyright January 2023
email contact: [email protected]