Recently, I made a few changes in my life. I decided to surround myself with as much happiness and positivity as possible every day, and I have to say, I'm not disappointed.

I had good friends. I was working a good job. And I loved social media, just as much as everyone else. The problem was that these things were CONSTANTLY feeding negativity into my life. Recently I noticed that I was beginning to regress into the negativity, too. So, naturally, I decided to change.

The first thing I did:

Take a step back from negative people in your life, and do not feel guilty about it. Take the time to notice how you interact with friends, coworkers, and relatives. It is important to pay attention to how your time is spent with them. It is also important how you feel AFTER you spend time with them. If your time is spent gossiping, complaining, etc., it may be time to take a step back. If something about your time with them makes you angry or depressed on a regular basis, stop.

It is not wrong to distance yourself from the people who bring more bad than good. I challenge you to take the step back to see how much another person can have an effect on your emotional well-being. And once you step back, lean into the ones who make you smile and feel loved, because there are so many people who love you.

The second thing I did:

Find a job where you feel purpose, but also one that pays the bills. Working at your job should offer feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment. But, something I hear so often is how much people hate their jobs! Why are you giving so much of your time to a job where you do not feel that your work is important? If you are working forty hours a week in a job you hate, stop.

Begin by being thankful for the ability to work, then decide if you need to change your surroundings. You have the freedom to choose where you work. Don't make excuses about this. Start now. Apply for positions that excite you and make you want to go to work everyday. Yes, this is possible, I promise. You owe it to yourself to work somewhere you love.

The third thing I did:

Cleanse social media accounts and be cognizant of which accounts you follow. Scrolling through your feed should not make you feel like you aren't good enough. Social media is a highlight reel and people are able to pick and choose what they share. In addition to that, likes and followers do not define you. If scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling leads to you feeling inadequate on a daily basis, stop.

Unfollow accounts that have mostly negative posts, or use language that isn't appropriate. Unfollow accounts with posts that make you feel jealous or less than. Put your account on private, or take a social media break all together. Then follow accounts that inspire you, the accounts of those you love, and accounts who share the things that make you happy. Be the person who looks up from their screen, smiling or laughing at their phone.

These things feel SO hard to do at first.

Let go of the negativity you are surrounding yourself with and start making room for happiness and the ones who love you. You have the freedom to fill your life with as much sunshine as it will hold. You have the freedom to choose happiness over darkness and negativity. And you have the freedom to create a life you love more each and every day, because you only have one. The time to start is now. This life should feel like sunshine on your skin. I challenge you to live life in warm yellows.