"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." - Forest Gump

Does anyone remember that "iCarly" episode when Sam is given the really old box of chocolates and gets insanely sick? That's kind of how life feels right now.

2020 has been a ROUGH year. From Kobe dying, to a world-wide virus, to this being an election year — nothing seems to be free of stress. It would be so easy to lose hope in life right now and if you have, I can't blame you. It can be so easy to focus on the negatives in life, but despite all of those negative things, there is good in life. Life is just giving us the bad chocolate right now, but the good stuff is still to come!

Working at an amusement park, I love to compare life to a roller coaster. You will have a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, you would love to get back on that ride. I totally understand having difficulties in life. In the past year alone, I've flunked out of a college, been at an all-time low with mental health, survived a suicide attempt, struggled with alcohol addiction, experienced family deaths, and more.

Life has kind of slapped me in the face. However, there is good.

I'm at a new school, and doing so well. I got involved with the athletics department there, made new friends, I get to live at home with my amazing mom, and I'm so much happier. I have no need to find happiness from the world — I can find it on my own. One of my favorite quotes is "You have survived 100 percent of your worst days." and that statement carries so much behind it. It can't get worse than the worst so that only means it can get better.

With all this virus going around, many people are being forced to self-quarantine. The bad part of that is you may not be able to see people you love to be around for a while. Do you want to know the good news though? You get to hang out with YOU. All those projects you've had on your mind, but haven't gotten around to doing because of your busy schedule, you now have the perfect opportunity. One of the keys to happiness is finding the rainbow through the dark clouds. That's so corny, but dang is it true. If all this is forcing you to miss your sporting events, recitals, or even your final semester of school and potentially not being able to walk on graduation, you still completed something! The trophies, experiences, and diplomas are things people will never be able to take away from you. Those things show your pride, hard work, and determination.

There's this thing I like to do to help myself find a positive moment in each day. Every day, I write down one nice thing someone said to me. It's nice to have that refreshing moment every single day with other people that have positive energy and also have positive things to say about you. On those days when I can't find happiness on my own, I still have a source and an outlet for some internal happiness. I high-key recommend trying this. It's hard to keep track of, but it is so nice to go back and look at all the great things people say about you. Sometimes I don't talk to many people during the day, so I may write down something I hear every day, like my mom saying "I love you." Simple yet impactful. Some days, it can be this amazing thing that I really needed to hear, like "You work so hard, and I'm so glad you're my best friend." It's such a good daily confidence boost. Confidence equals positivity and vice versa.

Something good happens every day of our lives. Waking up is such a blessing. Not everyone gets to do that today, unfortunately.

If you have good health, that is a great thing to be optimistic about. If you have pets, they are really good at making us happy. Even though they can be crazy, they can be such fun. It is impossible to not smile while a cat or dog is giving you little kisses or just flat out licking your face. That's just a straight-up fact.

If you're not feeling like today is a good day, go eat your favorite food, text a loved one, listen to some really good music, do something you know will lift your spirits. There is always an opportunity for happiness.

Our life is filled with choices, and happiness sometimes is a choice. I understand it's not always an option because people have issues and haven't figured out how to be happy with everything going on, and that is OK! We all have a choice to be optimistic though. We can look at life however we choose.

Life is going to knock us down every day. Happiness is the teammate who picks you up off the floor and encourages you to keep going. Find teammates in your life that support your potential to be positive. There will ALWAYS be something negative happening in life. From family tragedy to illness, stress from work and school, relationship issues, you name it. The black cloud will always be there. On the other side, there will ALWAYS be something positive. You woke up. You got to sleep in those cozy PJs. You get to live today! If you're living, why not make the most out of it? Do that thing, ask that person out, take that risk. Live life unafraid, and with the ability to see the positives in every situation. That is the best way to live life, and why life WILL be better — because tomorrow is a new day filled with new potential and amazing moments. Find the amazing and everyday, and you will become a happier person.