"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

" Happy."

It's the simplest answer, yet also the hardest one. It is only natural to be upset once in awhile. If we don’t experience sadness, we can’t fully appreciate the moments when we’re happy. However, these waves of sadness shouldn’t take over our daily lives. There will always be something to be upset about: a broken heart, not getting that executive board position, a friend you’re not friends with anymore, or maybe even a combination of all of three. But what I realized too recently, is that there are so many important things in life to be happy about and we can’t waste our time being upset. My trigger for this realization was watching "The Color Purple" on Broadway.

I honestly cannot explain how ecstatic and grateful I am that NYU Stern provides me with the opportunity to watch a Broadway show for free. In case you’re unfamiliar with the story line, "The Color Purple" is about two black sisters who have an abusive father. He rapes the older and “uglier” one, Celie, and allows the “prettier” one, Nettie, to get an education. The bond between these two sisters is unbreakable — even when Celie is married off to an abusive husband who doesn’t allow the sisters to communicate. Celie doesn’t even know if her sister is alive after a few years go by, but in an iconic moment at the end of the play, Nettie comes back with Celie’s children. Now, I’m not one to cry during movies and TV shows. (I don’t even think I cried while watching "The Notebook.") But the moment when Nettie and Celie were reunited, the audience was filled with sounds of sniffles and tears, and I was a part of it. I cried because it was a beautiful moment. I cried because I missed my own sister. I cried because my own life didn’t seem so bad anymore. But most of all, I cried because I was happy: happy to be in New York, happy to be as fortunate as I am, and happy for my existence.

It was in this moment that I decided that I wanted to feel like this far more often than I normally do. The best way to stay joyful, is to stay busy by doing enjoyable things. For me, that means exercising, riding my motorcycle, and playing piano. Each of these activities fills me with an inexplicably delightful feeling, and I believe that everyone should find something that they can call their happy place. When I’m running or playing piano, it’s all about me. I can focus on myself and feeling the best I possibly can. In these moments, everything else seems so insignificant. Suddenly, that bad test grade doesn’t seem so bad anymore. The lack of an e-board position means more time to explore other interests. That broken heart seems to mend itself.