One of my favorite movies is “The
Lion King” by Disney, and of course my favorite song from it (which I love to
sing) is “Hakuna Matata.” How great life must be for Timon and Pumbaa without a
single worry, no pain, and not a single tear of sadness. Thinking over this
motto of “Hakuna Matata,” I have come to realize that as attractive as this
kind of lifestyle might be, I would not want to live it. I have come to realize
that even through a life of worry, grief, and pain that I truly am becoming
what I want to be, and that is happy.
How is it that we can be happy while we live in a world of
rejection and offense, war and death, selfishness and corruption? There always
seems to be something going on around us preparing to push us down into misery
and woe. I remember people often making note of how happy a person I am. Why am I always smiling? What is it that makes
me able to go through each day with an optimistic attitude? While sometimes I
do fail to be optimistic, I don’t let it last long. Hopefully I can convey here
some of what it is that has made me the person I am, happy at heart.
One of the most important ways
that has helped to make me into a happy
person is finding the good in what goes on around me. A key to success comes
from the quote, “not every day is a good day, but there is something good in
every day.” No matter the bad that may occur in life, in reality there is a lot
of good to be taken out of everything, even the bad. All that we need to do is
search for it. It can be hard at times, but with practice we become experts and
life shines with a brighter hue. All it takes is a change in perspective and we
find happiness in our surroundings.
Connected to finding the good
that goes on around us is to look for the good in the people around us as well.
Yes, we as humans can often be very selfish and offensive, but recognizing the
problem is the first step in fixing it. Just because we do not always agree
with someone, does not take away from our responsibility to be a friend to them.
I've come to recognize that as we go out and serve and befriend those around
us, we not only help to bring out the good in them, but in ourselves as well. President
Thomas S. Monson shared a quick story in order to teach the importance of
seeing people’s potential for good.
“During the 1940s and 1950s, an American prison warden,
Clinton Duffy, was well known for his efforts to rehabilitate the men in his
prison.
Said one critic, ‘You should know that leopards don’t
change their spots!’
Replied Warden Duffy, ‘You should know I don’t work with
leopards. I work with men, and men change every day.’”
As we learn to truly love those
around us, even those that do us harm, we live a more happy life and help them to live a happier life as well.
One of the hardest yet most
satisfying parts of living a happy
life is being slow to be offended and angered, and quick to forgive. It is
natural for us as humans to be offended and hold a grudge, but that is one of
the best ways to live a life of grief. We choose not to forget the offense and
hold it with us, letting that hard feeling fester inside of us like a wound,
damaging our souls. I remember well as a youth growing up getting super angry
at my little brother for even the smallest things. As I got mad, I would choose
to stay mad, but I learned a great lesson from him. Although he would get mad
as well, I can remember many occasions in which he truly felt sorry for what
had happened and reached out with a greater show of love towards me soon after
a fight or disagreement. I remember many times, that I would not accept his apology
and would continue mad at him for a while. Over time, I came to see the big
heart that my little brother truly had, and how unhappy I was with how I was
living. I do not remember when I made the commitment, but I decided that I was
going to change, because I wanted to be happy.
So I did. It was not easy, but I worked with God and He helped me to change who
I was. Looking back at my life then and looking at the now, being able to
forgive easy and not become offended by what goes on around me has been a true
blessing in my life. Instead of allowing the pain of anger to widen wounds, the
power of love and forgiveness brings quick healing to the soul and happiness to the heart.
Finally, the most important part
of living a happy life is related in
one of my favorite scriptures, 2 Nephi 5:27, which reads, “And it came to pass
that we lived after the manner of happiness.”
I love this scripture so much because it does not just say “we were happy,” but rather that the way they
lived was what created happiness in
their lives. They lived the gospel of Jesus Christ and applied His atonement in
their lives. These are the foundation to a happy
life. As we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His power to bring us
out of sin, pain, sickness, and anguish, we will be able to feel and see the
many miracles of His love in order to overcome the sadness and bring in His happiness. As we strive to always
repent of what we do wrong, we will find that we are happy through personal improvement. And as we live in accordance
with His commandments, we will find happiness
in the knowledge that we are living our lives right. God will empower us and
fill our hearts, minds, and souls with happiness
as we work to bring ourselves closer to Him.
As we work at applying what I
have discussed, we will still pass through moments of sorrow and pain, but that
is an important part of life. It is my hope that through the application of these
things, the sad portions of our lives become smaller and easier to bear, and
that we can all truly come to live happier
lives. I know that we can do it, no matter the circumstance. All it takes is a
choice, the choice to be happy.
Bring in the Light, and let happiness fill your soul.
