请记住，快乐是一种选择

 所有的幸福和快乐都是自己给予的，因为快乐只是一个选择，你可以选择在你悲伤的时候依然保持快乐。

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln.

Happiness is a choice; you can choose to be sad when everything is going well for you and you can choose to be happy even when nothing seems right. To be happy at all times, you need to make happiness a habit and not just an act. I believe that the following points will show you how to stay happy no matter what happens

Be Grateful

Gratitude¹ is a sign of appreciation² and you ought to show appreciation for life. Always wake up every morning in acknowledgement that someone died the previous night but you didn’t, someone did not wake up but you did. Let me give you a little exercise, next time you feel as if everything is working against you and there is nothing to be thankful for, pick up a pen and a piece of paper and make a list of things you should be thankful for, for example, I woke up this morning, I have food on my table, I have clothes to wear, I have a good paying job even though my boss is a jerk, the skies are beautiful and the atmosphere is great. By the time you finish this little exercise, I can assure you that you will feel better already.

Exercise regularly

Unhappiness can result from stressing our bodies and minds. Scientists believe that 20 minutes of exercise can make you happy regardless of how sad you may be. Exercise raises your heart rate and triggers a surge of hormonal³ changes. As your heart begins to pound, certain hormones⁴ are released which create a sense of total well being and you begin to feel well again, the mind stress is gone and everything is under control. Another thing you can do is take a walk, this works for me all the time. When you take a walk, you are able to think over matters that are bothering you and come up with solutions to them.

Make somebody happy

“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up.” – Mark Twain

When you sow happiness, you reap happiness. Mother Teresa knew this secret so well; she devoted⁵ her life to helping⁶ others even if it simply meant putting a smile on someone’s face. Here is a sum of two of her famous quotes: “A life not lived for others is not a life; let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”

Be optimistic

Change is inevitable⁷ and no situation is permanent. Whenever you are feeling sad or depressed⁸, always remember that it’s temporary and that tomorrow will be better, tough times don’t last but tough people do. Develop a positive attitude, be optimistic.

Act as if you are happy

Smile always, even when you are feeling blue. When the body acts, emotions follow. A smile costs nothing but it creates much, it enriches those who receive it without impoverishing⁹ those who give. Learn to smile at all times, it won’t only make you happy, it will also win you happy friends.

Stay Close to Friends

I was feeling very sad and depressed at work one Friday morning, I didn’t know what to do so I approached a friend and we got to talking, I shared my burden with her and we had a brief talk. By the time I finished pouring out my heart to her, I already knew why I was not happy and what I had to do as well. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings with friends, it works.

How do you stay happy no matter what happens? Share your experiences with us and your opinion on any of the above points.

1 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

4 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

5 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

8 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

9 impoverishing   

v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的现在分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• Slowly the wasters and despoilers are impoverishing our land. 浪费者和掠夺者们在慢慢地糟蹋着我们的土地。 来自辞典例句
• It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. 它使获得者蒙益，施予者也无损失。 来自互联网