by Terry L. Sumerlin
Abraham Lincoln, I believe, is the one who said most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. If that's true, and it seems that it is, then we see people every day who apparently have never made up their minds to be happy.
At J.B.'s Barber Shop we see two contrasting types of individuals. We see the type that has a spring in his step, and song in his heart and a gleam in his eye. This person brightens a room just by entering. Then, conversely, once in a while we see the kind of fellow who, if portrayed in a cartoon, would have a dark cloud over his head. This person just exudes doom, gloom and cynicism. This person brightens a room too -- just by leaving!
What might be the reason for this difference in personalities? Surely it's not preplanned. I have yet to have someone tell me: "Terry, before you start cutting my hair, there's something I need to tell you. This morning I suddenly realized I haven't been unhappy in a whole month. And, I sure don't want to lose my unhappy side. So, I decided that today I would practice being unhappy."
I've never run across anyone that demented. Yet, occasionally I encounter an unhappy person. So, if as Lincoln says most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be (and if it is not preplanned), it must nonetheless be by choice.
Before looking at such choices, let's briefly look at the "so what" of happiness. What if a person is unhappy? Does attitude matter? So what?
Part of dealing with the "so what" involves a simple question: If you're habitually unhappy, how's that working for you? Additionally, the importance of a proper attitude can be seen in how it affects those around us, both on and off the job. Attitude is contagious. We want an attitude that's worth catching.
With these things in mind, let's look at some choices we make, having to do with ourselves, and how these choices in perception affect our happiness.
The first choice has to do with our appearance. As I think of this, I'm reminded of a beautiful, intelligent young lady that once worked for a business I frequent. I remember that she once had beautiful blond hair. Then one day I was startled to see that she had become a decided redhead. That is, she just decided to be a redhead.
She was still beautiful. Yet I couldn't help thinking that if there was something about the appearance of such an attractive young lady that she, herself, didn't like; what about the rest of us? Who does not sometimes feel he/she is too tall, too short, too thin, too fluffy or too something? Within reason, some things can be changed or improved upon. Yet, at some point, we have to accept the fact that, though we have bodies, we are not our bodies. Or, we have hair (sometimes), but we are not our hair. It's an attitudinal choice that can greatly affect our happiness.
Similarly, how we feel about what we do can influence our attitude. Believe it or not, at one time I was reluctant to tell others I'm a barber. The occupation didn't seem prestigious enough. Then, I realized the job doesn't give dignity. We give dignity to the job. Furthermore, we are not what we do, anymore than we are our bodies. We have bodies and we have jobs. But, we are greater than both.
BARBER-OSOPHY: Life is too precious and too short for us to choose unhappiness.
