If happiness is available to us at any moment through the power of our minds, why does it sometimes seem so hard to do? When our thoughts run amok, how do we choose better ones?

We’ve all had those experiences (moments, hours, even days!) when finding a happier thought seemed nearly impossible. When endless loops of worry, frustration, overwhelm, etc. not only challenged our ability to find our happy place, they caused us to forget we even had the choice.

Searching for an answer to this dilemma, I have encountered many clever approaches. Interestingly enough, many of them begin with “Change the subject.” 

Aha! That makes sense! If our thoughts determine how we are feeling, why wouldn’t we want to change the subject to one that feels better? Instead of wrestling with negativity, we’re invited to consciously choose a completely different focus. I like this concept of switching gears or hitting the reset button, and at the same time, I’m...