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Ecclesiastes tells us that the secret to happiness is to choose happiness. Don't kid yourself into believing that if you're not feeling good all the time then there is something wrong. Olympic athlete, poet, and filmmaker Alexi Pappas has some great advice to keep us grounded.

One lesson she shares in her new book Bravey is called The Rule of Thirds.

When she was facing a difficult training period before the Rio Olympics, her coach (also an Olympian) told her not to worry, this was simply The Rule of Thirds. He said:

“When you're chasing a big goal, you're supposed to feel good a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time...and if the ratio is roughly in that range, then you're doing fine.”

We keep thinking that happiness depends on external happenings, possessions, people, events, etc. So we keep chasing it, and it never stays! You have it within you today to be happy! Contentment comes from wanting what you have, not by having what you want! By choosing to want what you have, you are forever free from fighting to have what you want! You can choose right now to be content & happy with your life. You may not WANT to, but you can do it. The secret to happiness is to choose it – in each area of your life.

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