As I walked home after a particularly nasty day of school, work, and every other obstacle live decided to throw my way, I was reminded how terrible live can be. It has the power to knock you down, make you feel small, broken, and afraid to go out there and do it all over again tomorrow. For many people, life can be a beautiful thing; however I see it as a double edged sword. While life and the things in it can be wonderful, it also has the potential to tear us down, and even lead individuals to give up on their lives. College is unfortunately a time when life can hit us the hardest. Because it is a time for change, instability, and constant challenges, it has the potential to bring us the absolute best and worst parts of our lives. However, just because life has the ability and potential to break us, does not mean that we have to let it.

When life gets to be too much, I find that the only way to survive is to find your happy place. It can be a physical location, or just a place in your mind that can put you at peace, even in the worst of times. Now, I am not saying that when life beats us down we should just have a positive outlook and “decide” to be happy- as wonderful as that sounds, I personally don’t think it’s feasible, or even good, to just ignore those other feelings. Instead, find something positive- a glimmer of hope in the thunderstorm of life that can carry you through until sunshine.

For me, my happy place comes in varying forms, depending how I feel. Listening to a certain album or band can transport me there, or watching the perfect movie, one that can fit my needs at the time (for example, can make me laugh if I need to laugh, or inspire me when I feel lost). Sometimes running, especially outside has the ability to make the troubles of life go away and bring me to that happy place. Also, doing my favorite hobbies, like drawing helps me to feel inspired and give life new hope. But your happy place also does not need to be a solitary concept. I find it when I am with the people who I love and trust the most out of this world- my friends and family. Others have the potential to find it through a community, a group of people who share your interests and give you a space to feel accepted. The most important part about your happy place is that it is not a static idea; it is forever changing to fit your needs at the time.

The power behind the happy place is not to magically make life better or erase all the troubles it may bring. Instead, it allows us to put the bad in perspective and prevent it from consuming us whole. Our happy places also have the power to remind us that with the bad there can always be good, even if it doesn’t always seem it at the time. My hope is that everyone can find their happy place- their calm in the storm of life, to keep them going, even if they want to give up.