The right thing

The time is always right to do what is right.
--Martin Luther King Jr.

People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
--Abraham Lincoln

I think we can all agree that these to men had it made. Their lives were easy. They were destined for greatness and arrived there without much thought. The truth is, except for the part about their being destined for greatness, just the opposite. They were in the right place at the right time and accomplished all that they did because they would not give up in the face of great difficulty and opposition. They believed in the value of their work. I don't know if either of them could have recognized, during their foreshortened lives, the impact that they would truly have on the nation as a whole.
There can be no doubt that there were those who didn't agree with them, who fought against them. Doing what is right, however, doesn't guarantee that you will be free from pain or difficulty, it just means that the future consequences of your correct actions will be good. Who would disagree that the consequences of the actions taken by Lincoln and King were good? I hesitate to imagine our nation without either of them, and shudder to think of where we all might be if neither of them had followed the directives of their hearts or had just given up in the face of bitter trials. Everyone has choices to make. We all decide how much of ourselves we are willing to lay on the altar of the "greater good". Sacrifice and selflessness are hallmarks of those who make a difference in the world. Whether to be happy, or not, is also one of those choices and is much less connected to circumstances than most people would like to believe. When we put conditions on our happiness, the likelihood that we will ever find happiness is very small. Contentedness is a blessing. If we are content with what we have, happiness is the next step on the road. Contentedness and happiness almost always travel together.
Happiness in others can be deceiving. People handle their troubles very differently. They cope in different ways. Some are much happier even in extreme circumstances than others who have very little to worry them. I count myself in the category of the very blessed. I have everything I need to sustain my life and to bring life to my living. Still, we can't be certain that a smile isn't concealing enormous burdens. It is the best reason in the world to really care about and get to know others. If you find someone who bears up admirably under difficulty, make them your friend. They will bless your life, and who knows - maybe they will bless the entire nation or the world.