Happiness Rubs Off

Happiness is probably the least selfish thing that you can pursue, because if you’re happy, you’re going to make a lot of other people happy as well. If you’re miserable, you’re going to make other people miserable.

— Richard Koch

Optimistic people have an obligation to be optimistic. They have an obligation to share their optimism to make the world more optimistic, as it rightly should be.

There’s too much bad stuff in the world, it’s all too easy to get dejected. Both sides of this coin have knock-on effects. Optimism breeds optimism. Misery breeds misery.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The question then becomes what to do if you’re miserable. Well, you can start with appreciation. Think of three things you are appreciative of right now. Rinse and repeat.

If that doesn’t work (it should), obviously you need to find some optimistic people to be with, or at least have a conversation with them so they can share some of their optimism.

Which they’re obliged to do.