The Manner of Happiness

Well...I gave in. I have a blog. I always argued that blogs were for when you were married or had a family to write about. But hey...my life is still interesting and worth writing about. So here it is.

I was in reading my scriptures one night and came across this verse in 2 Nephi, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

Wow. The manner of happiness. What exactly does that mean?

I decided that along with my personal motto of "Endure to the End" that this would be my life's goal. One day people would look back at me and say "she lived after the manner of happiness."

I was talking to a friend today who is having a hard time. They said they had nothing to be happy about. WOW! What a statement. I started listing off the littlest of things they could be grateful for.

Happiness is a choice. I think this life is hard enough to go through without a bad or pessimistic attitude about it. Why NOT be happy? I understand there are times to be sad, disappointed, or upset. But like my mom always encouraged..."give yourself a time limit." "I'll be mad for two more minutes. Then I have to be over it." Seriously....it works. I've used it for years. I'm by no means perfect. I still go over my time limit sometimes, but I'm working on it. And that's all anyone can ask.

I was having a discussion with some friends the other night on some of our best qualities. I loved that they said I am happy. It might be one of my favorite things they said. I AM HAPPY.

As Gordon B. Hinckely said, "And in all of living have much of fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

So this blog combines my two personal mottos. I will not only endure. I will also live after the manner of happiness. I will be "Enduringly happy."