Sometimes I focus on the challenges that I face as a highly sensitive person/introvert. Do you feel this way? Focusing on problems seems to be a natural way of being for some of us. This story really opened my eyes and gave me a fresh perspective of what it takes to be happy.

A friend of mine passed along this story, which perfectly describes the spirit of being happy regardless of life circumstances.

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coiffed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready.

As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of a 92 year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

 “Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”

 “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day, and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”

How many of us can say, “Happiness is something that I’ve decided on ahead of time?” We all have choices on how we think and act. We tend to focus on the things that are not working well, but we can always choose to shift our attention onto the aspects of our lives that bring us joy, gratitude, and happiness.

Do you have the right attitude about happiness? If not, what small changes can you make to have a better attitude towards life? I’m interested in any thoughts or comments that you have.

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