Happiness...it's a state of mind

I'm feeling rather philosophical today and wanted to boost the moral of several of my close girlfriends going through some of what I call some "technical difficulties" courtesy of the US Air Force so here goes...

Abraham Lincoln said it best -Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Waking up and stepping forth into what is the start of a new day holds many promises. Good, bad or in-between, WE are the ones that shape our own outlook, and by starting with that first step (mine usually takes me straight to the kitchen for a rather large cup of coffee) of positive thinking we can pretty much shape our day. It's about finding and growing your happiness where you are- not looking off in the distance where it could be someday. And this next part is for my girlfriends who have husbands in the military... Happiness will not start once your husband retires from the Air Force, it has got to be in place NOW with deep roots. I've got a handful of girlfriends that I consider to be rather close friends going through a rough patch, all have different circumstances but all are thinking that their husbands retirement from the Air Force will solve all of their problems. My words of advice to you is to seek happiness in your own backyard. The hardest part is taking those first few steps... it's doing what I did almost 18 years ago, go out by yourself and take a class- be it on a new craft or hobby or maybe a college course. I didn't take the classes with any one I knew (we were brand new to the area, I didn't know very many people and my husband was deployed), I went by myself with three intentions 1- of learning something new to me and 2-making new friends and 3- of being happy in my new surroundings. I am happy to say that I succeeded in all three. Being a military wife means that you are one of a special breed of women that knows hardships and personal sacrifice more than most. It's dealing with separations that can go from mere days and weeks to being many months or even as long as a couple of years. Do we get angry and feel resentful? Sure we do, it's normal but what's not normal is carrying that feeling around with you 24/7 and yelling at everyone and being bitter and angry all of the time. What we need to remember is that We are not our circumstances, that those events will come and go throughout our lives. That we can overcome anything, and we always have friends that can help us to get through the parts that we can't get through alone.

Now with that said I can go on to having more coffee and my day- call me if you need me