It's not as wonderful when you have no choice about it.

@BitFlipper

Life is made up of choice and chance. Yes, bad things happen to good people. But we can choose our reactions and behavior.

A positive attitude colors your entire day. My hands ache with arthritis. I choose not to complain about it.

Yesterday, I spent three hours hemming my friend's long gown, for a concert in which she will sing. Gazing at the hanging dress, I smile with a deep sense of satisfaction.

@LiterateHiker yes, but I always hear that perspective from people who have choices.

@BitFlipper

You always have choices. Even in a wheelchair, cheerful, upbeat men get married.

Working as a social worker in nursing homes, I learned cheerful, positive people have better surgical outcomes. Everyone wants to be their roommate.

With a broken hip, positive people enthusiastically do physical therapy and go home with a walker.

In contrast, negative complainers have more surgical complications. Negative people who give up easily end up in nursing homes permanently.

@LiterateHiker well, I guess the ability to walk isn't enough for me. I aspire to more.

@Deiter I've actually been moving in the opposite direction. I never felt that way when I was young; I was mostly negative, fearful and fatalistic, with little hope or assurance in life. I've mellowed so much as I've gotten older and feel more assured than I did then.

Never!

@bingst Well I refuse to be miserable....

I don't get that she fears or dislikes people or that she's isolated because she's single. To be happy and self-assured regardless of whether you're in a relationship is a pretty good thing, I would say.

@bleurowz Self partnered sounds as if she isn't looking. If she isn't looking, then she may not like people or may fear them. Being rich, she must know rich people, many of whom take advantage of employees and other people. That would make a person suspicious of everyone...fear may be too strong an adjective. If she is a sociopath, she doesn't like people.

There are other alternatives, but these seem more likely.

@EdEarl I don't think that way. A person could be messed up or miserable whether they're with a partner or not.

@bleurowz True. Same is true for contentment or happy, whether single or not, and poor or not.

@OwlInASack Hadn't considered it at all, but I'm sure they can be ruthless.

@OwlInASack I'm sure they'll rip her to shreds. But they seem to find any excuse to do that, anyway.