Although it may be tempting to dismiss a call to happiness during this time of worldwide struggle and strife as overly optimistic or too simplistic, 尽管可以将在全球斗争和冲突中过于乐观或过于简单的态度看做幸福，

let me tell you now that I believe this is the perfect time for a reminder that when it comes to happiness, all of us have a choice. 现在让我告诉你,我相信这是一个完美的时间提醒人们那就是当谈到幸福时,我们都有一个选择。

In fact, choosing to be happy is one of the very few essential decisions that we get to keep regardless of age, stage of life, or present situation. 事实上,选择快乐是为数不多的重要决策,无论我们的年龄大小、人生阶段还是现状如何。

It’s a decision that can’t be taken away, and no one else can make it for you. 这是一个决定，不能带走更没有其他人可以代替你。

Each one of us gets to choose, every single moment of every day, whether or not we decide to be happy. 每个人都可以选择,每一天中的每一时刻我们是否幸福。

When we choose to be happy, the rewards are truly great. First and foremost, happy people are more likable and desirable to be around. 当我们选择快乐时，回报是真实美好的。首要的是，快乐的人更可爱，更值得拥有。

Isn’t it amazing how we’re drawn to people with sunny dispositions? 是不是我们用阳光般的性格与别人交流会更吸引人?

One of the many consequences of this phenomenon of human nature is that happy people regularly benefit from the enthusiastic help and cooperation of others. 在人的多种性格中，有一种现象是，快乐的人经常受益于别人的热心帮助和合作。

Secondly, happy people consistently report an improved quality of life. They enjoy life and everything in it more than people who aren’t happy. 其次,快乐的人总是生活质量的改善报告。他们享受生活,一切都比不快乐的人美好。

I can personally attest to the connection between happiness and improved quality of life. 我可以亲自证明幸福之间的联系并改善生活质量。

Many years ago, I decided that I would be intentional about choosing to be happy. 许多年以前，我决定有意识的选择幸福。

I didn’t just say I wanted to be happy, I found out what I needed to do to make happiness a daily reality for me. 我没说我想要幸福,我发现我需要做些什么来让幸福成为我日常生活中的一部分。

In their book, How We Choose to Be Happy: 在他们的书中,我们如何选择幸福：

The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People, authors Rick Foster and Greg Hicks present the results of interviews with happy people all over the world, from all walks of life. 作者里克·福斯特和格雷格·希克斯选择了九种及其快乐的人进行采访,结果是，世界各地的人的快乐来自各行各业。

They found and wrote about nine specific choices commonly made by happy people. 他们发现并写下了快乐的人们通常做的九个具体的选择。

As you can see, most of these are things we already know about, and may even already practice. 如你所看到的，这其中大部分我们已经知道，甚至可能已经做过。

The key, as I discussed in What is Easy to Do is Not Easy to Do, is to use your personal initiative to do the little things that are easy to do, and do them consistently. 关键的是，当我们讨论什么事容易去做，什么事不容易去做，通常是按照自己的计划去做容易做的小事情，并坚持去做。

Here’s the list of choices that Foster and Hicks came up with: 这是福斯特和希克斯选择并提出的列表:

1. Intend to Be Happy. This is the fully conscious decision to choose happiness over unhappiness. Check out Learn to Enjoy What You Don’t Enjoy. 1.想要幸福。这是全意识决定选择快乐而不是痛苦。通过学着去做我们不喜欢的事情。

2. Be Accountable. You make the choice to assume full personal responsibility for your actions, thoughts and feelings, as well as to refuse to blame others for your own unhappiness. 2.具有责任感。你要选择承担个人的行为责任,想法和感受,以及拒绝把自己的不幸归咎于别人。

It is also the practice of seeing ourselves as having control over our own lives, rather than being at the receiving end of circumstances. 学着去控制我们的生活，学会自我欣赏,而不是接受极端环境。