choosing your happiness
Start writing a post
Student Life

I've Decided To Put My Happiness And Wellbeing Above Anything Else And You Should Too

Don't worry, be happy.

131
I've Decided To Put My Happiness And Wellbeing Above Anything Else And You Should Too

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."
― Dalai Lama XIV

First off, what is happiness? According to Merriam-Webster, it is a state of wellbeing and contentment. To some, it's a person or place. To me, it's finally feeling free after being trapped for so long.

While we all can easily point out what happiness feels like, sometimes the difficult part is attaining it or figuring out how to.

I may only be 19 (almost 20), but I have seen and been through a lot of things in life that has taught me some very hard but meaningful life lessons. One lesson, in particular, has really resonated with me recently and I feel like I've done a lot of growing from it.

Sometimes in life, you hit a wall and you don't feel the happiest or that you are where you should be. Everyone goes through this, so know that you are not alone. But one of the best things to do during these times is to make sure that you are doing everything that makes YOU (not someone else) the happiest you can be.

Growing up, I have always had this need to put others before myself, their happiness was first. While that is not necessarily a bad thing it caused a lot of the trapped feeling that I had felt for so long.

I was a giver. I was the one always there for everyone (and still am today), even if it meant putting aside the feelings I was experiencing, whether they were good or bad. I was what my dad liked to call the peacemaker. I made sure everyone was happy and always tried to see both sides of a situation.

It could easily be said that I started to constantly push out my feelings and my emotions for the sake of others.

Happiness doesn't just come from what you do, it comes from within. While everything may be going great in life and you have everything you could ever ask for, sometimes you will wonder why you still don't feel truly happy. What I've found it that you won't truly be happy if you aren't happy with yourself first.

Don't risk your happiness for that of those around you. This means that sometimes you NEED to put yourself first, especially if that is the best thing for you to do.

You never know what someone else is going through in their lives and the friend that you think is fine may not be. The co-worker you always joke with is going through something. Even the person that was rude to you is going through something too. When we are truly happy we learn to not let the ideas and opinions of someone else affect us because they are not responsible for our happiness.

Life is too short to be anything but happy, so it's time to to get in that mindset. The more you believe and tell yourself that you are happy, the more you will not only start to be but feel too.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55749
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35944
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957935
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

186803
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments