Choosing to Be Happy is Good for Your Health! A Voltaire Quote
Since starting Sixty and Me, I have come across hundreds of amazing quotes and I have to say that one of my favorites is also one of the simplest. Voltaire once said, “I have chosen to be happy, it’s good for my health.” Every time I post this quote on our Facebook page, I get thousands of likes and comments, so, it seems like this is one of our community’s favorites as well!
On the surface, this is a simple statement, but, there is actually a lot going on here. For starters, consider the assumption that happiness is a choice. Voltaire didn’t say “I’m healthy because I’m happy.” He said “I have chosen to be happy.”
So many of us go through life assuming that our happiness level is fixed. The truth is that we have a lot more control over our happiness than we believe. We just need to embrace gratitude, focus on achievement, get healthy and find friends who share our passions – but, that’s a topic for another article!
The second insight that I can draw from this quote is that happiness and health are deeply connected. We are not just walking machines. Our bodies and minds are deeply connected. When we focus on improving our happiness, we feel like engaging with the world – and the more we engage with the world, the healthier we become.
I love this quote because, in a few short words, it sums up one of the secrets of life. Living well is a choice. Happiness is a choice. So, today, let’s choose to be happy – after all, it really is good for our health!
Do you agree that happiness is a choice? What single step are you going to take today to improve your happiness? What are you most grateful for today? Please add your thoughts in the comments section below.
