"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."
- Henri J.M. Nouwen

I am a happy person 99.9 percent of the time.

I live for smiling and laughing and making other people smile and laugh. I try to include everyone and make them feel happy and welcome. I'm the person that smiles at you in the hallways because a smile can change anyone's mood. I'm on every minute of every day making jokes, including people and getting people to smile.

I'm on so often that when I'm not, it's noticeable.

Everyone has off days. No one gets that more than me. Personally, the weather affects me. When it's cold and snowy, I'm in a way worse mood than when it's warm and sunshiney. But there are other factors, of course. Something could be going on at home or school isn't exactly working out like it's supposed to. There are many factors in the world that affect how we feel on a daily basis.

But recently, I've done some "experiments" with myself to see what affects my mood on a given day. And what I discovered about myself blew my mind.

I don't like doing everything. Most people don't. I'm not a huge fan of writing papers or doing homework. I don't like cleaning my room or unloading the dishwasher. And on some days, I don't like going to class. When I don't want to do something, it makes it that much harder to do it. Going into an activity with a bad attitude is like holding yourself back and putting yourself down. I didn't even realize this myself. It was just a bad habit that I had gotten myself into. And people could tell. Because when I'm passionate about something, and I want to be there, I am 100% on. But when I'm not, it's noticeable.

I had a "come to Jesus" talk with a person in my life that I look up to. He said, "the key having fun in everything you do, including the stuff you dread going to, is to go into it with a great attitude and a smile on your face." And he's so right! Just outwardly, smiling takes fewer muscles in your face than frowning does. Something is just so simple as smiling can change your mood completely. Smiling changes the chemical makeup of your body and it takes fewer muscles too. How could you ask for anything easier?

And going into something with a positive attitude isn't hard either! I was told recently, "what you speak, is what you believe." Honestly, something so simple also blew my mind. If you tell yourself you're going to have a good day, you're bound to have a good day because you believe it. I can tell you first hand: it works. In the morning before I leave my house for the day, I stand in complete silence and I say, "today, you are going to have a good day," and I smile. If you need a pep talk during the day, find a quiet space and tell yourself that it's okay and that you're going to turn it around and have a great rest of the day. You have to verbally speak it out loud. it doesn't work if you just say it in your head.

You've got to choose to be happy. And honestly, it's a choice worth making.