Time to be Happy

It's International Happiness Day! And we all know what that means: it's time to put on your happy face.

What an amazing holiday. But what if you're feeling down right now?

If you're feeling down today, it might not just be because you’re doing so many requirements right now, or because you're stuck inside your office all day. It might also be because you're choosing to see the downsides of the situations you find yourself in. It might feel like happiness is just out of grasp at times. When we get into one of those ruts, it can be really hard to pull ourselves out, but I promise—it is possible. With all the stress of our daily lives, it's easy to forget that life is short and we should appreciate what we have.

Sometimes, negativity just feels easier. It might seem like you're helping yourself by focusing on your problems and complaining about them. But if you shift your mindset away from negativity and embrace the beauty of even the smallest moments, you'll be surprised at how much happier life can feel for you.

If you're feeling sad right now and you wish you could feel happy, don't worry—that's normal. Everyone feels sad sometimes. I've been there too and I understand that sometimes it's hard to just "snap out of it" and be happy. But if you're ready, and you want happiness, I feel you 100% and I want you to know that you can absolutely choose happiness today. And the good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to boost your mood. Some things might sound boring, but they work!

I know—it sounds a little goofy, but here's the thing: happiness is a choice. We've all heard the old adage. It tells us that happiness is something we can achieve—if we prioritize it. We don't have to wait for something amazing to happen to be happy—we can just choose to be happy right now. I'm here to remind you that you were wrong when you believed things like, "I can't be happy until I obtain that item I want," or "There is no way I can be happy right now." Happiness, you see, isn't something that just happens to you because of your circumstances; it's something you have to choose for yourself, no matter what happens. And by "choose," I don't mean that it has to be easy. In fact, it may be really challenging. But the choice is yours—and it starts with one small step. Instead of letting yourself get overwhelmed with all the things you'd need to do in order to experience full-blown happiness, start with just one thing. For example, maybe today is a good day for you to start letting go of an old grudge, or maybe today is the day that you finally call your mom back and let her know how much she means to you. I am aware of how challenging life may be. But I also know that choosing happiness is always an option—and it's a choice that will get easier and easier the more we make it.

Happiness is our most important asset. It is something that money can’t buy and something that we can have if we really decide to have it. We don't have to wait for things to change or for life to be "perfect" in order to be happy. In this world, we have many reasons to be happy.

So, to celebrate this day, I want you to take a step back and think about all the things in your life that make you happy. Today is the perfect day to make an active effort to choose happiness over sadness. Today is a day to celebrate the idea that happiness can be shared and measured, and that it's a global goal worth aiming for. We should take time to appreciate the good things in life and to do things that make us happy. We are the master of our own destiny. We have the ability to influence and control our own surroundings.

To all of you who are celebrating today, I want to say: thank you for spreading all the love. It's very contagious when you're happy. There are so many things that you could do to make yourself feel better. And once you've made yourself feel better, then maybe try doing something nice for someone else. You'll most likely help them feel better as well! Spread the positivity!

And to those who are struggling with depression or other mental illnesses, remember that it's okay if this day makes you sad because everyone has their own issues and battles they're dealing with. There's no rule that says you have to be happy all the time or even for just one day—but sometimes stepping back and taking time for yourself can be helpful, so don't feel bad if you need a day just for yourself. If today doesn't work out for whatever reason, then try again tomorrow or next week! Remember: It's important to take time and enjoy your life now before it's too late. Remember also that it's also important to take care of yourself while you're making this change. I believe in you and can't wait to see how amazing your life will be when you choose happiness!

What are YOU going to do today to make yourself happy?

Take a second right now—just one second—and choose happiness. Choose to remember what makes you happy. Choose to turn your frown upside down and let yourself smile. I believe in you, and International Happiness Day only comes around once a year!

All photos are from Pinterest