Are you happy?

At this special time of year, we are all expected to be happy.

But happiness is not always automatic. We can be surrounded by family, love and laughter and still not feel happy.

Feeling happy is something that we can choose to be, and conversely, we can choose to be unhappy.

We can join in with the festivities and feel happy or we can sit on the sofa and feel grumpy.

Even when things are going wrong, we can choose to be happy and make the best of things or we can feel down in the dumps.

Feeling happy is a powerful thing. It releases hormones that are good for us. Being unhappy does the opposite and releases stress hormones, making us feel worse.

So how are you going to choose to feel today? Hopefully you will choose happiness.

And that happiness will in turn rub off on those around you, making them feel happier also.

Have a good day - be happy.