how to be happy, lesson #5.

Remember, you always have a choice.

Interviews on life satisfaction levels indicate that people who express a sense of autonomy, of making decisions for themselves, are three times more likely to feel satisfied with their lives than people who don't. (Fisher, 1995)

The fact is, you don't *have* to do anything at all. With the exceptions of being in prison or threatened with imminent death (or both, I assume), you don't have to do anything at all. You *choose* to do － or not to do － things.

So what's the difference between 'I have to do the laundry' and 'I choose to do the laundry,' when regardless, the laundry must eventually be done? It's the difference between acting because you feel forced into it and acting because it holds something valuable at stake for you. You do the laundry because you value being clean, smelling good and looking presentable, or you do the laundry because you love your family enough to provide them with clean clothes and linens.

Don't lament your responsibilities as unavoidable and burdensome. Remind yourself of the positive effects your actions bring about. When we see all the options we really have, we can begin to appreciate the choices we make.

from 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People:

What Scientists Have Learned and How You Can Use It

by David Niven, Ph.D.