“I urge you to please notice when you are happy.” –Kurt Vonnegut

As college students it is easy to lose sight of what makes us happy. We are constantly caught in a storm of tests, papers, homework, and social obligations that leave us with barely enough time to breathe. Losing sleep every night over our responsibilities doesn’t make it easy to remember the points in our day that made us feel like everything was going to be all right. The phone call with your mom and the hour you got to spend with your friends and the great lunch you ate all get lost in the endless cycle of studying and trying to cross things off to-do lists.     

Us college kids aren’t ungrateful, and believe me we are completely aware of all the good that comes with the bad. But personally I have found that it has become increasingly difficult to prioritize my happiness over my test anxiety and work fatigue as I’ve gotten older. By the end of the day catching some Z’s is the only thing on my mind, leaving no room for thoughts of the laughter I shared with my co-workers or how great the new episode of my favorite show was that week.  

It is so easy to forget about the beauty of being truly happy, especially when you are moving at such a rapid pace every day. But if we stop for a second and make a list of all the things that put a smile on our faces I can promise you it will be longer than we think. Our neighbors, our dogs and the fun facts we learned during lecture are all reasons to smile, so why not remind ourselves of that? 

I have never been the most optimistic person and I know that I am guilty of not realizing how important happy moments are, which is why I think this Kurt Vonnegut guy has a point. If we all made the time to notice our happiness, maybe college wouldn’t seem so difficult. We go to an amazing university that effortlessly gives off good vibes, so why not harness that energy and make our lives better? 

Notice when you are happy, people!