“When you come to a Fork in the Road, Take it!”
The late Yogi Berra coined the phrase indicated in the title; “When you come to a fork in the road, Take it”! This quote in 1988 and a laundry list of other “Yogisms” have been quoted over the years by the late legendary New York Yankee. Similar to this one, many of his quotes started out to be serious, but by the time he would say them, they left you scratching your head then laughing? “It ain’t over til it’s over”, “it’s getting late early”, are a few that come to mind.
At face value, the title and quote doesn’t make much sense? This was Yogi being Yogi when giving directions to a friend. “When you see a fork in the road, take it?” However, it brings to light a poignant part of everyone’s life when they are faced with taking one of two directions; happiness or sadness.
Everyone has difficult times in their life and no one is suggesting that everything in life is flowers, sunshine and rainbows. When you are sad you need to feel sad. If you are mad you need to feel mad. Once you feel it, let it pass through you and let it go. A great book “The Untethered Soul”, by Michael A. Singer speaks about this in great detail. Furthermore, holding on to any particular damaging emotion like hatred or jealously will disable your ability to be happy.
“holding on to any particular damaging emotion like hatred or jealously will disable your ability to be happy.”
Similar to having old furniture (damaging thoughts) in an attic (your head) that cannot allow any room for anything new or challenging? Throw it out! Make room for new and happier thoughts. Once you buy a new chair you need a new table then a new set of dishes, and so on. Same with new and positive thoughts. Once you have one good thought you want another good thought to match. Soon your head is filled with so many positive thoughts that they overflow and begin to spill straight down into your heart. Once your heart is filled with happy and healthy thoughts it is amazing what happens next. Soon you begin sharing your good intentions with your family and then strangers. Once you start branching outside your inner circle you have now become charitable. How amazing!
Have you ever read a story or see a news report about a horrible tragedy that a victim was able to move past or even forgive someone that had committed a harmful act? Often we sit back and say; “how can this person forgive them?” Or, “How did they ever get past this tragedy?” We almost look at them as strange? However, realistically, these people who have been harmed so deeply needed to navigate through the pain removing the heavy hurtful barriers so that they could live a fruitful, happy and positive life.
Preacher Joyce Meyer comes to mind when I think of someone who was harmed and was able to forgive. As you might know Joyce is a bestselling Christian author and spiritual guide who has written several books. Joyce had suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of her Father and was able to not only get past the abuse, but forgive her Father. Joyce talks about her journey openly in her lectures and books and really makes you feel like you can get passed any problem. Especially when you know to the extent of abuse she suffered and not only did she forgive her Father, but blessed him with a wonderful life until his death.
Experiencing happiness is truly a choice. My wife Laura tried telling me for years that my happiness was my choice. My response was always that my unhappiness was due to things happening TO me rather than me choosing to be happy. Laura simply put, “you choose to be miserable”. She was right. Once I understood that the fork in the road was always in front of me and that at any time I had the power to choose a happy life, it changed me. My laughter became a little louder and more frequent, I do not take myself too seriously, and I have a lot more fun on my days off.
“Experiencing happiness is truly a choice.”
Joyce Meyer could have chosen to be bitter and unhappy because of the abuse done TO her. Joyce turned her abuse around and chose to forgive and built a ministry of positive energy and light. Which road do you want to choose? Take the one on the left, “Happiness”.
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