Although I don’t normally acknowledge it, many observers have said that tragedy struck my life fourteen years ago at the age of twenty. I was about to start my senior year at the University of Florida when I suffered a high-level spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator, much like the late Christopher Reeve.

Faced with high-end quadriplegia, not to mention relying on a machine to breathe for me, it took me a while to learn to live with this condition. I was depressed for months. He didn’t know what he could still do. I had to learn and focus on what I can do. What about happiness?

I eventually learned to relate to this quote from our first First Lady, Martha Washington, who said, “I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, whatever situation I find myself in, because I have also learned from experience that the more of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances”.

Even in my situation, despite my paralysis and the ventilator, I truly believe that I am blessed in many ways (for which I am humbly grateful). I recognize that there is always someone in a more difficult situation. Consequently, happiness is a matter of perspective and a choice.

Happiness is choosing to find the positive, even in less than ideal situations. But what makes choosing to be happy SO MUCH EASIER is finding your niche: something you enjoy and are passionate about.

Finding your niche is even better if what you are passionate about can turn into a job or business opportunity. The Chinese philosopher Confucius said: “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Losing your job can be a personal tragedy. Many people have experienced job loss as a result of the poor economy in recent years. That happened to Ken Knorr, who decided that since he no longer had a paycheck, it was time to embark on an entrepreneurial endeavor. That entrepreneurial endeavor is now called ESA Company, which is ranked No. 183 on the 2011 Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

Regarding entrepreneurship, Knorr said, “There’s no better way to get inspired than to get fired!” If your passion turns out to be an unmet or unmet need in the world, or in your part of the world, you could turn a personal tragedy like being laid off into a business opportunity!

Personally, I am passionate about helping people (doing God’s will is what I believe). Following my injury, my family and I recognized an unmet need for physical recreation and social opportunities for wheelchair users, especially power wheelchair users. This led to the development of a wheelchair bowling device called the IKAN (“I can”) Bowler that can empower its user. That too became a corporate effort to get wheelchair users (back) in the game of life!

Regardless of the personal tragedy you may experience, keep in mind that a good way to emerge and find happiness is to seek a healthy perspective and find your niche, something you enjoy and are passionate about.

If you’re wondering why I don’t usually acknowledge my injury as a personal tragedy, it’s because ultimately so many positives have come out of my layoff.