Philosiblog discusses that idea in a post of the same name.
It took me many years of struggling with the concept before I understood the idea that each of us is responsible for our own attitude.
The comment above illustrates the idea.
Philosiblog says:
Misery, like happiness, comes from within. If you choose to be miserable, you will be. If you choose to be happy, you will be. Yes, sometimes it is easier to be miserable than happy, but you can be happy, if you put forth the effort.
Sometimes we are in a bad situation and misery is easy. Happiness is tough in a tight spot. Sometimes it is easy to be happy.
Other times we self-define what it will take to be happy, and if those definitions don’t come into play, we will be quite unhappy.
By our own thoughts and attitudes, I mean that if we have the attitude that I can’t be happy without something, we have decided to be unhappy. Until we have that certain cell phone, certain style of clothes, or that special car, we have to be unhappy, because WE made that rule.
Too often, we tie our happiness to outside things. Attaining a shiny bauble. Getting a date with a special someone. Being selected for the team. Winning a contest. While we may have some influence in each of these areas, we have no real control over the outcome.
And thus our happiness is held hostage to some outside circumstance or the decisions of others.
That’s not a good place to be. We will create much unhappiness for ourselves.
It is possible to choose happiness. Philosiblog claims happiness is a choice:
Yes, I said choices. We can choose to be as happy as we are willing to justify to ourselves. Why are you not blissfully happy right this moment? Are you worried about something which might happen? Are you concerned about something which already happened? Are you stressing over a deadline?
I will try to choose happiness. May I suggest you do the same?