Recently I was posed with the question, "How did you become so happy?" After initially being taken aback by the boldness of this question, I realized that I am, indeed, extremely content with my life at the moment. It is not because I get everything I want handed to me or because each day goes as planned, but rather, it is because I choose to make the most out of wherever I am and whoever I am with.
I can easily say that this has been one of the best years of my life, if not the best itself. I have grown in terms of self-love and respect, I have challenged myself to be bolder and unapologetic, I have learned how independent I can be, and I have met some of the greatest people I have ever known.
While it seems like it may have been "easy," what I listed above was not all handed to me; these were all opportunities I had to seek out. I forced myself to exit my comfort zone and hone in on who I am without someone by my side, as I learned that you truly can only rely on yourself at the end of the day, so you sure as hell better love who that is.
I live in a generation where we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. We compare the way we look, the way we dress, our accomplishments, and every minuscule detail we can possibly find. This alone can lead us to a place of unhappiness and discontentment. One of the main reasons that I have found immense happiness in my own life is by focusing on actually enjoying the moments I am in, rather than sharing each joyful memory with my social media followers. I am happy because I can enjoy life without letting everyone know that I am happy. I do not seek validation from anyone but myself, and this is easily one of the most freeing things I have ever done.
Even on days that seem to drag by, I realize that happiness is indeed a state of mind. You are the sole person in charge of dictating how you allow yourself feel. With all of the negativity surrounding us, it is a conscious choice to wake up each morning and decide to try and persevere and find joy in the life you have been given.
Now, I acknowledge that the sheer idea of happiness looks different for each and every individual. Life does have a tendency to be unfair and dishes out situations that do make it extremely hard to look past them, but I believe that each and every one of us can find happiness in some area of our life, and those moments, experiences, or people are the things that we should focus on.
Life will continue to be challenging, and by no means will it magically get easier, but we can change our perspectives on how we choose to view these challenges. It might not be easy to alter the way we view our lives, but it can be 100% worth it.
If I were to ask you if you were happy, would you answer with a solid yes?
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I invite all of you to find what truly makes you happiest, and to channel your energy into doing things that promote positivity and value into your life. There is so much more to this earthly life than how much money you make or how many followers you have on your social media pages. There is opportunity for meaningful relationships, connections to be made, and memories to be had.