I was never really sad, but I wasn't exactly happy ever. I was going through the motions of life instead of actually living. I wanted to be genuinely happy so bad, and it took me a while to realize but it's all about perspective.

I realized that I had to stop striving for perfection, but instead embrace the imperfections.

I realized that happiness wasn't even about being "happy" all the time, but it was about being sad. It was about being sad and no matter what wrongs are going on in your life, knowing that you can get back up - most importantly, you can grow.

We all strive for happiness in life, and we all find it in different places. The idea of happiness is so complicated. At times, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what “happiness” is. What does it mean to be happy?

You see, the idea of happiness is different for everyone. What makes you happy, might not make me happy.

We as a society have this idea that happiness means perfection. But, happiness does not mean everything is perfect. Because nothing’s ever perfect.

Happiness is sadness and happiness is struggle.

Happiness is crying and happiness is laughing.

Everyone around us has told us that everything has to work out, that everything is perfect, and that we are supposed to be happy all the time.

But nothings every perfect, and no matter how many imperfect things are going on in your life, there comes a point where we must sit down. Take a deep breath. Take five deep breaths and appreciate the beauty around us.

I know our surroundings aren’t perfect, and I’m not telling you they will be.

But, appreciate the night you were up until five in the morning crying over a boy, because now you know your worth and no one will ever treat you like that again. That is beautiful.

Appreciate the time you got fired, because now you have a career that you love. And you taught your kids to never give up. That is beautiful.

Appreciate the time you “failed” as a parent, a student, a mother a father, a daughter, a son, a friend, a person. You didn’t fail, you learned and you lived. That is beautiful.

We were not put on this earth to live a perfect life. We are going to make mistakes; every single one of us. We are going to go through difficult times; every single one of us.

But, in the middle of all of this, you are going to witness the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen, just as a little reminder that we all have so many beautiful reasons to be happy.