Happiness is a Choice

Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you decide to be happy. No person, no circumstance—happiness comes from within.

I’ve always believed this. I even used to say, “Don’t worry, I’m very good at entertaining myself.” Looking back, I think years of going solo in my work naturally shaped this mindset.

When I first started as a ballet teacher, I worked alone most of the time—just me and, occasionally, a pianist. Lunch breaks were often spent by myself, and I got used to doing things alone. Even in my first job while waiting for my Form Six results, I had workmates, but back then, all I remembered was having fun!

After graduating, my first full-time job was in a small company where I mostly worked and traveled with my boss. I had a male colleague for a short while, and he made things interesting—teaching me little tricks like how to ‘snake’ around with the schedules. But it wasn’t long before I moved to another industry, where, for the first time, I had a team. It was mostly men, but eventually, I gained a female colleague who became a close friend. We even took a spontaneous trip to Hong Kong together before she left.

When I got promoted, though, it was truly solo all the way. That’s probably why some of my best career moments were after I transitioned into teaching. Meeting students, making connections—that brought me joy.

I once told someone, “Sometimes I get jealous that you have colleagues to go out with for lunch, to have activities together…” It’s something I want—but do I actually need it? I’m not so sure.

Maybe I’ve just grown comfortable with independence. Maybe I’ve found peace in it.

One thing is for sure: I’ve become really good at doing boring things—repeating the same tasks for hours, and somehow, I don’t mind at all.

And you know what? I think that’s pretty amazing.