If we can choose who we are in this life and choose who is in it, why be unhappy while we're here? The problem with most of the people I've observed is the people they keep around them. Happiness is not promised to anyone. It is not given, and you cannot buy it. It is something we move toward or away from. It is something seemingly so unobtainable that we will complete almost any task to have it. I understand about letting our past control our future. If you hang around long enough, you are going to have bad memories of some kind. These thoughts and distractions are easily overcome by focusing on what you are doing to grow in your own life, and the determination to get there step by step.