I'm With Groucho How about You? / myLot

Alicante, Spain

November 4, 2016 10:49am CST

The American comedian and film star Groucho Marx said “ I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.” Most of the time when things are going wrong and stacking one on top of the other it certainly doesn't feel like what Groucho said is true. When bad things are happening to us it feels like we have no choice other than to feel bad ourselves. But that is not the case. Happiness is a decision that we can make if we believe we can make it. If we believe we can't in the light of the situation that we are facing, then it is true we won't be able to be happy. When someone says something like we can choose to be happy, many times when we are coming from a bad place we want to say to them, you try being happy when this is happening to you. Part of the reason we think we don't have a choice is because we think if we are trying to feel happy in crappy circumstances we have to feel happy because of those circumstances. Which of course is ridiculous, who among us would feel happy because we don't have enough money to feed our family. No one in their right mind would feel happy because a loved one is ill or we have lost our job and our only income. But that is not what is being said by Groucho. Feeling sad or worried about the bad things that are happening to us will not make those bad things go away nor will feeling happy. But what will change though is how we feel as we go through them. So if we have the choice to go though something happy or sad, like Groucho I am going to choose to feel happy. How about you?

6 people like this

6 responses

Jekca

@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

4 Nov 16

that is a lovely quote, and a good reminder

2 people like this

Maggs

@maggs224 (2320)

• Alicante, Spain

5 Nov 16

@Jessicalynnt I think so too Jekca thanks for commenting :D

1 person likes this

crazyhorseladycx

@crazyhorseladycx (39509)

• United States

4 Nov 16

wise words indeed, though not always easy to follow such advice. i've been strugglin' myself o'er the past many months. my desire to be happy 'n the rest 'f the universes desire to continue to rain down lemons seems to clash somethin' awful. but, i've climbed outta the darkness...'n put a new led bulb'n that light't the end 'f the tunnel :) big hugs 'n love!

1 person likes this

Maggs

@maggs224 (2320)

• Alicante, Spain

5 Nov 16

Many years ago I watched an episode of Hill Street Blues. In this episode two of the detectives were at the scene of a bad car accident. One of the victims had lost his arm in the accident and they were looking for it. One of the detectives found the arm, and when he found it he saw that the wrist watch on the severed arm was a Timex and was still working. He turns to his partner and says it's true what they say " it takes a licking and keeps on ticking" You remind me of that watch, no matter how many lickings life hands you, no matter how many times you get knocked down, you still manage to get back up again, you keep on ticking. You are a special woman and you have my admiration. It is not easy but you show us time and again that in spite of it being hard you can still do it.

1 person likes this

crazyhorseladycx

@crazyhorseladycx (39509)

• United States

5 Nov 16

@maggs224 aw

yer kind 'n lovin' words made me reach fer my hankie, dear friend. 'quit' 'tis a 4-letter word'n i try my best to avoid those :) i hope that i can inspire some folks to take a diff'rent look 't their circumstances, e'en perhaps help 'em figure a way to find their own happiness. one can easily get consumed when pummeled, 'r facin' schtuff they've no control o'er. big hugs 'n love!! 'tis 't december yet?? i can't wait to hug the stuffin' outta ya 'n ms. sue!!