One of many intriguing things about each of us as human beings is that we are all different. No two people are entirely the same. Sure, many of us may share certain likes or dislikes, thoughts and beliefs or even birthdays, but there is much more to a person that these things. So, think about that. Almost 9 billion people on this earth and we all have our own quirks or tendencies entirely unique to just our self.

Now, deduce the entire earth’s population down to just you, in all your glory, and focus on your life. Focus on the stream of events that occur daily between the time you wake up and the time you go to sleep. What are you spending your time doing? Who are you spending your time with? Do you look forward to waking up every day or do you wish you could spend the rest of your life in bed? We all have those days where the obvious choice is to spend eternity in our warm, cozy nests, but is that desire consuming your life?

Waking up each day, we all seem to always be burdened by one thing or another. Whether it’s the torture of making it to your 8 a.m. philosophy class on time or getting dressed in a uniform work-outfit to go spend the day doing something you don’t enjoy, there is a sense of displease that we as people can’t seem to get rid of. After you make the plunge out of bed and into whatever clothes suit you for the day, the hardest part is presumably over. Then, however, we spend the day surrounded by sources of such displeasure. Whether it’s the tv across the room whose voice sounds the most recent haunting tragedy or those around you who can’t seem to resist a complaint, over and over and over. The world we live in today seems to always focus in on the negatives. The beast that consumes our brain always takes the form of a negative thought, of the remembrance of all of the work you have to do when you get home even if you’re in the midst of the people and the things you enjoy. We are infinitely focused on the bad, not the good. This is no way to live!

So, how can we move away from this negativity that seems to consume the world around us? Well, I handle it with one phrase, “treat yo’ self!” Of course, there are positives and negatives in each of our lives but the best way to embrace them is by treating ourselves with what makes us happy! If the beach makes you happy, make time to get yourself to the beach. If you’ve had a bad week and think you deserve an expensive massage or nail appointment, do it! If it’s 2 a.m. on a Saturday night, you just got back from the bar and all you want is a chocolate donut, get that donut! It’s important to do what you can, in moderation of course, to make yourself happy and remind you of the many, many great things in life!

While this is no permanent fix for unhappiness, learning to treat yourself to the things in life that make you happy is a nearly perfect method to improving your day to day life. It’s important to recognize that you, yourself, are worth every dollar or every calorie of whatever it is that is a treat to you.