While many factors can determine one's threshold for happiness, such as genetics and upbringing, research has shown that around 40 percent of our happiness is solely in our own control. Due to this, experts are claiming that happiness is a choice. A psychologists, William James, is quoted as saying that, "The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by changing his attitude." I personally can attest to this.

With typical life stresses coupled with a few life changing events, I was continually finding myself in these slumps of just feeling not so great about life. I spent a lot of time waiting for someone or something to come along and change that. What I didn't know until recently was that I myself held the power to change my outlook on life and better my attitude.

I started with a "fake-it-till-you-make-it" mantra. I woke up each day making a promise to myself to smile at everyone I saw, appreciate my circumstances, and try to share in some happiness with others. This happiness eventually became genuine and the perks that came with it are priceless:

For starters, experiencing your own happiness rubbing off on someone else is an amazing thing. Knowing that you can turn someone's frown to a smile or even fix their whole day is very empowering. Almost everyone I know says they want to make some sort of impact on the world, and for me being able to bring happiness to others seems like the greatest feat of all.

Second, slowing down and appreciating the little things in life makes your world appear so much more beautiful. Having gratitude for the little things like flowers blooming in spring, or stars in the sky on a clear night, or even just the way the sun shines on the trees brings a sense of simpleness to life and can help ground you when the world starts to feel like it's bearing down on you.

You start to see things in a different way. Having happiness as an essential part of your lifestyle often forces you to try to find the good in every situation. You start to see the world through a more positive lens and, in turn, you find yourself living in the brighter side of life.

Happiness is an attractive quality and happiness often attracts happiness. By choosing to be happy you are welcoming and drawing in some really great people to your life and moreover, you are creating a support network of people who will see the value in lifting you back up when life knocks you down.

While it's not always easy, I think that striving to be happy is one of the most important decisions anyone can make in life. So I challenge you to do more of what you love, spend time with those you care about, and show the world how great it is to be here. We only get one shot at life, so why not make the most of it.