It took a while

But I'm learning to make my own happiness a priority. For the average person happiness is a choice, yet so many of us are unhappy all the time.  There are many reasons, but it all boils down to one simple principle:  We often choose something else over happiness.  Because it often takes less effort to be unhappy.  For example, instead of seeking happiness we lazily follow the path of least resistance, we refuse to accept change, we aimlessly try to control the uncontrollable, and so on and so forth.  Averting these poor choices and the negative attitudes that accompany them is the first step.
The second step is injecting meaning into your day-to-day life.  Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”  To find true happiness in life you have to follow your heart and intuition.  You have to be who you are, and design a lifestyle and career that fulfills you – no matter what that entails or what people say about it.  And it is never too late to do so.
Sure you have responsibilities.  And no, you won’t be able to do what you want to do every waking minute of your life.  But you almost always have a choice to do more of what you really want to do – to work on something that matters to you – something that moves you and gives your life meaning.
Bottom line:  Life isn’t about pleasing everyone; I've spent a lifetime meeting others needs at the expense of my own needs being met.   Not anymore.