I wouldn’t say that I have always had a joyful outlook on the world, but since I left the nest and have been on my own, I have developed a new outlook life.

Life is very short. I know this is cliché, but we only have so much time to appreciate the things on this earth. So I think we should start now and choose to be happy.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that life gets rough. I understand that as much as this world is filled with beauty and joy; it is filled with just as much pain, heartbreak, and sadness. I understand that all of the bad can crash into your head like a giant wave. It can tear you apart….if you let it. Pain is a real feeling. Sadness is a real feeling. But I think the way you approach the bad, is what it is really about.

Over the past few years, many of my friends have described me as just a happy person. They tell me that seeing me smile all the time makes them try to smile more. I think smiling is key to happiness. It just makes you and the people around you feel lighter. The reality is that when people see happiness in others, it makes them feel happy too. My zest for life comes from the fact that I choose happy.

But how do you choose happy? It’s actually pretty simple.

The first thing I do is wake up every day without expectations. I embrace the fact that my day could go any way, and I am just thankful to simply be waking up to experience it at all.

I find beauty and joy in the small things. I think this is most important. There is so much simplicity in life that we can find joy in. I appreciate the smell of cookies baking in the oven. I marinate on the cozy feeling you have in your bed right when you wake up. I listen to the beautiful songs that the birds play in the morning, and I don’t let the sound become jaded just because I have heard it my entire life. I appreciate the crisp new air. I actually enjoy the activities I participate in. I love the feeling of rolling the windows down instead of turning on the air conditioning. I used to be worried it would mess up my hair, but now I embrace the free feeling of it. I appreciate the beautiful landscapes that God has provided. The intricate details of every tree and flower He has planted.

Really I just don’t overlook the simplicity of life. Instead I focus on the simple things the most because I’m happiest when I think about the simplicity.

I don’t let my circumstances define my outlook. Even if I am having the worst day, I try to live in a state of laughter. Some may say I am just pushing my feelings away….bottling them up, but I am still acknowledging that they are present. I am just choosing happy instead. Living in the pain is necessary sometimes, but you cannot live in it forever.

I choose to love myself and others around me. I choose to dance my heart out, laugh obnoxiously and often, sing at the top my lungs, and hug my friends tightly. I choose to find sunshine in the rain, the calm in the storm, and water in the dessert. I choose to be myself regardless of who’s looking. I choose to embrace the person I am, the circumstances I have been given, and the world as it has been created.

I choose happy.

And you should too.