his winter, in a small beach town in Costa Rica, I noticed that most of the local crowd seemed incredibly happy. Yoga teachers, surfers, ex-pats and Costa Ricans smiled easily, took time to chat, and quickly invited newcomers to join in. A friend jokingly said, “We’d all be happy if we lived down here!” I thought, we all could live there. That’s a choice.

Making choices in every moment
Whether big or small, each choice has consequences. A lifetime of breakfast bacon may lead to temporary enjoyment, followed by long-term medical issues. Choosing a life partner who challenges and inspires you leads to different outcomes than a partner who stifles your spirit.

As we navigate the choices and deal with the consequences, we tend to resort to resentment or blaming ‘others’ for our unhappiness. We may find flaws with healthy and happy people instead of being inspired and curious about how they do it.

As ever-expanding research on happiness continues (see Spring 2011), a key point emerges: to turn that frown upside down, take responsibility for your choices. Instead of blaming or resenting others, use your dissatisfaction as a mirror to your inner life. Ask, “What choices aren’t working? What do I do differently going forward?”