"Is Our Happiness Preordained?"

I just read a TIME article examining this question and it's pretty interesting. The short answer is yes. And it’s not because what happens in your life is preordained, but that your own personal outlook is. Whatever happens to someone, how they handle the situation is what affects whether or not that person is actually happy.

I see it in myself and in my friends. Some of my best friends have handled the most difficult situations with such resilience. They end up being, not only stronger people, but still with the same optimism and idealism they had before. And how you handle difficult situations is one of the most telling things about you. Of course, we can always self-actualize and our attitudes evolve and develop over time. But you’re always the same person. So what you cultivate and focus on within yourself tends to make up who you are. I see what affects me personally and get irritated. I haven’t been through any life-altering sickness, or family tragedy, or any real identifiable hardship. And thank God. But I’ve still let things that mattered to me or didn’t go my way really affect how I see everything. So it is important to take that into consideration. To look around and realize what's in front of you. And to keep things in perspective.

LINK: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721954,00.html