March reminds me of the play Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and the ominous warning in the play, “Beware the Ides of March!”  More on the Ides of March as it gets closer, but I wanted to talk about some of our friends who, by design or accident, tend to steal our happiness.

How many times have you asked someone about a trip or a movie and they told you how bad it was, or how they didn’t enjoy the experience?  Sometimes, my friends will even try to convince me that a movie I’ve seen is bad, or how a restaurant I like has bad service or poor quality food.  They then proceed to attempt to convince me why I should change my mind.  All the while I’m wondering, why they are so passionate at convincing me, or why they care if I like this movie or restaurant.  I believe that some people, even friends, just want to steal your happiness.  Not necessarily with malice, it’s just who they are.

Don’t let your friends, or anyone for that matter, bring you down – instead, bring them up.  Make that your daily goal. Don’t be surprised if you have some that refuse to be happy, and like crabs in a barrel, are only happy when they are dragging you down. On that note – much of what is now being labeled as “fake news” by both sides is simply one person’s point of view.  Make it your goal to read, watch, or listen to what a person has actually said or written before believing the spin.  Don’t let the press, right or left, steal your happiness either.  Be your own filter – and be happy.