What does it mean to feel truly happy? I bet if you were in a crowded room and asked everyone what their definition would be, they would all give you a different answer. For me, to be truly happy means to be in a good place in your life where you feel comfortable in your own skin, to be confident in yourself, have your goals in mind and to be on the path that leads you to where you want to be. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in your career or be extremely successful. It doesn't mean that you have to be dating somebody or be living on your own. It just means that you are living a life full of joy, spending time with people who are important to you, working towards your dream and creating the life you want for yourself. You are living your life by your means.

You don't have to be happy 24 hours a day, that's just impossible. Life happens and we are allowed to feel all and any emotions on the spectrum, but make sure to try and make an effort to choose to be happy. Find a silver lining when you are having a bad day. Think about if what is making you angry, upset, and unhappy is worth spending your time to feel that way. If it's going to take away from you being happy, then try not to dwell on those feelings. Focus on the positive and do something to distract yourself. It's proven that the more we smile, the more we trick our brain into thinking we are happy. Put yourself in an environment where you can smile and laugh more.

Being happy is a conscious decision, or at least that's what I've been told. It's difficult, trust me, I know. That's what I'm writing this article. It is not only to help others but to help myself as well. Trust your intuition, do activities that you enjoy, push yourself out of your comfort zone from time to time. You don't just wake up happy and everything is all fine and dandy where nothing can go wrong. But you can wake up and say, "I'm going to make today a happy one today". Acknowledge every accomplishment and celebrate everything. You are in control of your life, of yourself, and your happiness.