Remaining unhappy is very easy. It even comes naturally. If you are in a funk, it is natural to be unhappy. But when you are in this state and do nothing about it, you are taking the easy way out. Is this in your own best interest?
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” When unhappy or feeling sad, it is a shame to take the easy way out.
You can take the easy approach and remain in a funk, or you can choose to put forth effort. All you need to do to change your feelings is to redirect your thinking. The emotion (feelings) always follows thinking (cognition).
Never attempt to change an emotion directly; it can’t be done.
Here is an example of how this thinking-emotion relationships works. When I served as an elementary school principal, the kindergarten teacher called the office one day because she was not successful in stopping a boy from crying. I reached into my bag of tricks, took out a stethoscope, and hurried to the kindergarten student. I placed the end of the stethoscope on the boy’s chest in three places and then proclaimed him healthy; the boy immediately stopped crying.
What did I do? As soon as I redirected his attention, the emotion immediately changed.
Tip: When unhappy, don’t take the easy route. Change your feelings by redirecting your thinking.
