I think happiness is a choice.

When life comes at you with different challenges, I think it’s at these times when you learn the most about yourself. You learn to push past the struggles because the happiness on the other side of the situation is waiting for you.

It may be really easy and really convenient to blame the others or the rest of the world for your unhappiness. It might even seem like you had no part in creating the problem. Maybe it helps you cope with it or even pretend that it’s not happening.

But truthfully, I think the only thing or person that can control your happiness is you.

At times, I have felt myself let things affect me very greatly, even to the point of occupying and consuming every aspect of my life. I’ve seen friends take life less seriously and choose happiness over stress.

Many times, it’s this attitude that ultimately helps them conquer their problems and attain a new level of positivity. It wasn’t the process of blaming others or the world for your issues, but rather a “hey, this isn’t making me happy, looks like I have to fix this” type of thinking.

While being consumed in my own thoughts, not necessarily fully acknowledging my ability to fix my problems, I can see that there are many ways of dealing with problems. I’ve witnessed that putting your own happiness first is what life is all about. It may be a difficult path, but the reward is always worth it.

This thought occurred to me when I recently watched an interview with Tiffany Haddish on “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah. Tiffany Haddish is a comedian who has grown up in the foster care system, has dealt with being broke and homeless, etc. Trevor asked Haddish how she had overcome all the adversities in her life.

She, being the true comedian she is, said the answer was simple. The thing she always tries to do in every situation in her life is have a good time and laugh. Regardless of the obstacle, she learned that choosing happiness and rising above the challenge helped her become stronger. It helped her achieve her dreams of being a comedian and spreading laughter everywhere she went.

I really was captivated by this message and how simple it was. It was clear to me that, in order to be happy, you have to choose it first. It’s not selfish or wrong; rather, it’s a way of conquering life.

Life is far too short to be so concerned and clouded by thoughts/ situations of stress. I do believe that tackling problems first starts with your attitude. How do you choose to face your problems?

What do you hope to achieve from doing so? When asked what I want to be in the future, my response is clear. I want to be happy, no matter what bumps in the road I face. I want to deal with my problems while being happy. I think that’s the way to achieve ultimate bliss and appreciate life for what it is.