Is happiness a choice, Can you choose to be happy?
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I say yes. There’s always something to complain about.
When you chat with a friend you can gossip about other people and complain about your job, OR you can tell a funny story.
You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond.
For some people, a positive attitude happens naturally. For others, they have to learn how to do it.
What do you think?
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That is a fact, I can wake up and do the things that make me happy and can run into some A-hole who tries to ruin my happiness if I let them. 
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That’s a very short sentence, but opens a very broad issue!!! 
To start with I don’t think being happy is an “all or nothing” state of mind. We can be very happy with some things and simultaneously very miserable about others things.
In addition, a state of happiness, even in the face of dire hardship can depend a lot on how the situation arose, how temporary or permanent it is, and whether we can do anything to change it.
For example, a trader may suffer a run of losses but retains the account and is confident that they have learnt from it and the situation will turn. Another trader may blow his account and no longer have any resources to re-enter and continue. But, again, these are only portions of their overall existence.
Certain other persons have deep religious convictions that will carry them though any hardships this world might throw at them - e.g. your namesake, (small) Paul of Tarsus comes to mind.
But I think we could say that we do have the ability to at least alleviate an unhappy state of mind to some degree with an appropriate attitude.
Just some thoughts…
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I would agree about the state of mind, The reason I ask the question, I hear people say regardless of the circumstances you can choose to be happy.
I agree - We have the ability to at least alleviate an unhappy state of mind to some degree, If the cause of your unhappiness is still there you will eventually go back to being unhappy
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Sometimes, it could just be a matter of accepting what you can’t control, and doing the best you can with whatever is in your control.
Let’s we are both in prison for life. It makes me depressed, and I become even more violent against other inmates.
You, however, decide to spend your time reflecting on your mistakes, reading, playing chess, talking with the on-site counselor, and sharing your feelings with other inmates in group therapy.
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In those cases, they accept that they are the cause of their own unhappiness.
They adjusted to the situation they put themselves in?
Those who committed the crimes, not those who were falsely convicted
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a really philosophical question , I would put it a little differently , is it really possible to ensure happiness for yourself and does it have a price
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Right, that’s what I meant.
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Hmmm. 
Interesting question! 
I think it’s a choice, until the circumstances no longer give you the option to choose happiness, if that makes sense. Like, I feel like a positive attitude definitely helps, but it can only help you through so much.
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A great contribution to a good subject. I believe that it is really possible to ensure happiness for yourself, and I also believe it has a price. The price is that you need to take responsibility for all the outcomes. Given that I believe I have a choice, and I choose to be happy, I must accept the outcomes of my decision to be happy. I had a global conversation with my Sibs yesterday (two sister in Oz, my brother 40 miles away - via WhatsApp). Same subject. My (big) sister added value to this subject. She says that it is not what happens to you that is at issue, it is how you respond to what happens to you that determines your happiness. Others have stated above that you cannot control all outcomes, so to be happy is to admit that you cannot control the actions of others - only of yourself. I often find that during discussion with others, people are always looking for “who is to blame”? Politicians receive their unfair share of criticism in this field. The public somehow thinks that they should know all the answers, often make incorrect decisions, and should be dismissed from their jobs for poor outcomes. I often say that the issue is not who made the mistake - the issue is only whether you accept whether your own actions could have changed the outcome. If you chose inaction, you have no moral ground to accuse others of being “at fault”. Once you realize that blaming someone else for your misfortune doesn’t do you any good either, you realize that you are either on a treadmill of misery always blaming someone else for outcomes that affect you, or you choose to make your decisions, based on your best judgement, and accept the consequences, whatever the outcomes. I believe that a competent trader must take this attitude - to be responsible for his own decisions, and realize he cannot control every outcome. But a belief in the use of a trading strategy and sticking to a robust plan is what keeps me interested in Forex. If I did not believe this to be the case, I would always be upset when I lost a trade.
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Those are some powerful words
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Is money a factor in your happiness?
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Yes, money affects my happiness. But it is not the determining factor. Money only helps with money problems.
However, most problems can be fixed with money! haha
I may have used this example before. A speaker, Eric Thomas, told a story about him and his wife. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The doctor said that it’s a progressive disease, eventually she will lose multiple body functions, and she’ll end up in a wheelchair. However, in the meantime, the doctor prescribed medication that must be injected everyday with a long syringe.
After lots a research, Eric found out about a pill. The doctor said, ¨I didn’t tell you about it because it costs $10,000 a month and your insurance won’t cover it.¨
So, Eric, as a motivational speaker, started working like crazy, increased his income and got the medication for his wife. He moved his wife to San Diego where the weather is perfect for her condition. He also retired his wife because stress triggers the illness. His wife has improved and is healthy and happy.
His wife’s best friend, on the other hand, also developed multiple sclerosis. But her husband didn’t have access to such financial resources. And she ended up in a wheelchair.
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This is broad. But it always depends on what makes you happy. Some seek pleasure, others fulfillment. You decide. However, things don’t always go as planned. That’s where acceptance comes in. There’s a connection between acceptance and happiness. Life isn’t always sunny; there will be challenges. How we handle these challenges by learning from them is key. It’s a continuous process.
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I believe we can choose to be happy, but not always, because sometimes life doesn’t give us the option to choose. Money is definitely a major factor in happiness. I don’t mean we have to be rich, but money is a basic necessity in life. Even small joys in everyday life, like going out to eat at your favorite restaurant or watching a movie, cost money.
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It’s one of those “it depends what you mean by …” questions, really, isn’t it? And a particularly philosophical one (at least in the sense that different people can mean really different things!).
If “happiness” includes “not being bothered/troubled/aggravated by stuff” then I think yes, you can to quite a large extent choose to be happy, can’t you? People who meditate regularly, for example, have pretty reliably and by lots of different research been shown not to be as annoyed/irritated by things as people who don’t? Whether that necessarily makes them, by definition, “happier” is still a moot point, though, I think, and one that depends on definitions, descriptions, etc.
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Happiness is a choice unless you get caught up in your wrong observation. Try to do things you like and it will make you happy by the end of the day.
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After losing my parents and taking too long to cope, I realized that happiness is what keep you sane. And it does not just come from you, but the people you are surrounded with.
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I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Surrounding yourself with positive and understanding people can make a big difference.
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