“I think of myself as a realistic optimist. 😉
Happiness is a choice.
To make a true choice you have to see all sides.
Blinders are not a virtue–LOL! :)”

This lovely response to Positive or Pollyanna comes from good blogger friend Rita McGregor.  I’m sharing it because I think Rita really capture the difference between the two poles I was writing about.  She reminds us that being happy is definitely an inside job and depends on one’s own choices about how to respond to circumstances.

Yes, there are horrendous circumstances many people deal with daily! Are they Pollyannas when they choose to be happy?  No!  Instead they are empowered by recognizing that how they choose to react is within their own power to control.  This is an active response.  It is not a passive resignation, it is saying:  “Ok.  This sucky thing happened.  Would I rather it hadn’t happened?  You bet! But now that it has, I can make it easier on myself by not fighting what is.  Now that particular battle is out of the way, I can instead use my energy to see what my next small step is to move away, out of or through this sucky thing.”  In some instances it is: “Accepting what is out of my control, I learn to live with what is in my control.”  (even if it is only the choice to be serene – which is no small choice).

Bravo, Rita!  Thank you for putting it so succinctly!

And here’s today’s offering for Art Every Day Month.