Do you believe you deserve to be happy? I mean really happy. Being able to answer this question with a resounding “Yes!” is fundamental for you to ever truly achieve true and lasting joy. Believe it or not, there are people out there (and more than you may realize) who don’t think they are worthy of happiness and they don’t even realize it.

Most likely you have a few people in your life – maybe a family member, friend, co-worker, or you – who stumbles through life claiming they are ‘trying’ to be happy. Then just when it looks like they may have found a reason, maybe a small reason, but yet it’s still a reason by most standards, for happiness – poof! it’s gone. Why is it gone? Usually there is a long list of unavoidable reasons why that chance for happiness tragically vanished. In digging deeper you would probably learn that the person sabotaged their own chance for some time to bask in the warm spotlight of peace and joy. Consciously or not, it is most often self-destruction that prevents true happiness.

There are those that feel most comfortable in a dark place of pain and sadness. Their pain may be quiet despair, but it’s there. I call this the Eeyore Syndrome. Remember Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh? No matter how beautiful the day or how happy everyone around him was, poor, poor Eeyore was eternally sad and determined to stay that way.

It may be impossible to change the Eeyore’s in our own life, but we can change ourselves. We first need to embrace our own worthiness and allow ourselves to enjoy life and all it has to offer. Unfortunately, this isn’t a single decision you make once and then you are done with it. We are faced with making the decision for happy over sad several times over the course of a day. In any given day we are faced with the decision of looking for the good and right in the world or turning away from that and moving towards the darker, gloomier side. Become aware of the daily “happiness opportunities” in your life and take them. Don’t shun them or let them pass you by.

I encourage you to write a list of the reasons why you are worthy of happiness. Look deep inside yourself and appreciate all the good within you that deserves peace and joy. You might even write yourself a love letter detailing all the wonderful things about you that make you special and worthy of unconditional love. Keep that list or letter with you or in a place where you can read it regularly. If you begin to feel sad or defeated take it out and read it again and again. And Yes – You are worthy of happiness!