Today's world is full of unhappy people. We see these unhappy people every where we turn. They are driving on the roads with us, shopping at the local grocery store, dining in our favorite restaurant, teaching in our schools, and working beside us. We even find those unhappy people living in our own homes. Sometimes that unhappy person is ourselves.

However there is one important life lesson that I have learned the hard way -- ultimately we control our own happiness. No one and no thing can make us happy and no one or no thing can make us unhappy. We choose how we react to people and their actions and we choose how we react to our wants and desires.

As the old song goes: "Happiness is wanting what you have."

It is OK to want more than you currently own in terms of your personal or professional life. In fact it is good and healthy to have goals and dreams. However it is not healthy to base your happiness on the achievement of those goals.

That is a sure-fire path to unhappiness for a number of reasons. First because you are putting off happiness while you work toward your goal -- many goals that are worth attaining will take a long time to reach. Do you want to be unhappy for all that time?

Second life is full of surprises and the best-laid plans sometimes change. If you are basing your happiness on the end goal then you might miss a great deal of happiness (not to mention opportunities for even more happiness) by not allowing yourself the flexibility to adjust your path or even change your mind.

Third you may well be placing your happiness beyond your reach. Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we do not attain our personal or professional goals. Sometimes we can do everything within our power and everything possible -- and we still fail. Failure is a natural result of living a full life and it does not naturally lead to disaster. Sometimes failure simply leads to another opportunity or goal. However if you have tied your happiness to the success of a goal then failure can certainly mean disaster for you.

So how do you make your own happiness? You SOW it with this three-step plan:

1. See Your World
2. Open Yourself Up To The World
3. Will It To Happen

What does SOW your own happiness mean?

Often we close ourselves off from the world around us. We are busy dealing with the details and stresses of our life. We drive right by interesting opportunities on our way to work or school, the grocery store, and home. When was the last time you simply stopped to observe the people, the buildings, and the landscape of the world you live in? When was the last time you took a walk or a hike to experience first-hand the unique climate and landscape of your region?

Often simply placing ourselves within the larger landscape can help put our lives and problems back into perspective. Often simple observation and the act of opening our eyes, minds, and hearts to the opportunities that surround us can lead to untold happiness.

In the end, we hold the key to our own happiness. We have to ready ourselves for the potential and then we can make it happen.

Now go out and SOW your own happiness.

Deanna Mascle shares more inspirational articles at Best Inspiration Online and Advice For Life