Are you happy? Why or why not?

Happiness. Is it really all we want? To be happy? We do so many things in the “Pursuit of Happiness.”

I’ll be happy if…

I get a job

Change jobs

Lose weight

Quit this exercising to lose weight

Get married

Am no longer married

Have kids

If the kids will grow up and leave the house

If I buy this

If I get a new one of those

We chase happiness and chase happiness until we are completely miserable.

When Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” he opened the door to happiness in this life. 

Some people call them the “Be attitudes” – but they should probably be called the “be happy attitudes”

 In fact the Amplified Bible expands the word “Blessed” to “Happy and/or Happiness.)

Jesus is telling us that our happiness and our attitudes are connected.

You know, it’s real hard to be happy with a bad attitude. In fact it may be impossible.

Your attitude is an outward expression of an inward feeling

Your attitude either draws people close to you or repels people from you. Your attitude will lead you to the promised land or keep you in the desert.

Approximately 2 million left Egypt – 2 of those actually possessed the promised land.

We all have our reasons for our bad attitudes. Some people are just naturally critical. I can look at a page of writing and find the mistake almost immediately. This comes in handy in my profession, but does not bode well when your wife is asking you what you think of something she’s poured her heart into on paper and all you can do is show her the typos.

Change your attitude and happiness will come. Or, keep doing what you are doing and be miserable. The choice is yours.

David Specht Jr. is editor and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.