Published February 23, 2025

by Andy Berges

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Epictetus once declared, “God has entrusted me with myself. No man is free who is not master of himself. A man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.”

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In other words, God blessed all of us with powerful minds and the degree of our happiness each day depends on our thoughts, not on external things.

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Contentedness and possessing strong faith are also major determinants of our degree of happiness.

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Paul the Apostle mentions this in Philippians 4:11-13 when he says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

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While we may not be able to control 100% of our happiness at times, we can control our minds and the quality of our thoughts 100% of the time.

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Whenever unwanted negative thoughts periodically creep into our minds, we must take those thoughts captive and redirect our minds to positive thoughts.

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Bad moods are self-inflicted and we possess the power to replace them with happy moods within an instant. As Abraham Lincoln put it, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

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Starting off our days with a positive mindset is essential for determining how happy we feel as the day unfolds.

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Research shows that when we greet the morning with optimism, we increase our chances of maintaining that happiness throughout the day.

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There will undoubtedly be mornings when we wake up feeling down or reluctant to get out of bed to face the day.

 

​On those particular days, we must keep in mind how fortunate we are that God blessed us with another day of life. More than 150,000 people on average pass away every day throughout the world, reminding us of our own mortality.

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Every morning offers us a valuable opportunity, and we should aim to embrace happiness. Before getting out of bed and throughout our day, let’s recite Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Embracing this perspective has the power to transform our attitude and elevate our experience of life.