One Apple A Day #923 - do something that makes everyone happy
"Every person's happiness is their own responsibility."
This quote is attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but if you do a quick search using the terms "happiness" and "responsibility", you'll find many different authors' variations.
To me, being responsible for my own happiness means that, no matter what other people do, I have a choice.
"You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you."
Viktor Frankl
To be honest, I'm not sure I can control what I feel, as Frankl says. Emotions surge like waves, and when I catch them, they are already spread in my body and in my head. But I know I can decide what to do with them and with what happens to me.
That is being responsible for my own happiness.
However, in our individualistic society, we often read "everyone's responsible for their own happiness" in an egoic way.
"I take care only of my happiness; yours is not my business."
As a result, we compete for happiness.
"I do what I have to do to be happy, and if someone else is hurt in the process, hey, their happiness is their responsibility, not mine."
This distorted idea of happiness and responsibility creates a lot of pain and hurt.
Being happy is an individual choice, but we can make that choice way easier or harder for others with our behaviours.
So, why don't we make a little effort to make it easier to choose to be happy for everyone?
Wouldn't that make this world a little better?
Everyone now and then, instead of "doing something that makes you happy", you may try to "do something that makes everyone happy".