There are two different places where you can choose to live your life.

The first is the imaginary bubble that you have created based off what you think others believe about you.The second is reality.

This might seem rather elementary. I mean come on man everyone lives in reality, right?

Well unfortunately, many of us live in a fantasy. But not the kind with wizards and fire breathing creatures. Rather, we live in the land of made-up, self-assumed portrayals of ourselves based off our own insecurities.

This is a land that we love to wallow in. It’s comfortable, because its easier to beat ourselves up and feel sorry for ourselves then to get up and make a change.

Negative thoughts and feelings are like your bed on a Monday morning. They hae a way of pulling you back into their comfortable clutches.

But if we spent our entire day in bed, then we would never grow as people. We would never experience all of the great joys life has to offer.

Why are these terrible feelings so damn comfortable? It’s because it takes less energy to sit around feeling like garbage and focusing on your flaws then to stand up tall and put a smile on your face.

We have this preconceived notion that happiness is something that will just happen to us one day and everything will just go our way eventually. Why do we assume that happiness is not something we have to work at?

Happiness takes work. It's hard as hell to be happy, especially in the world we live in today where everyone is looking for a reason to put someone else down. It feels damn near impossible! Especially when humans have the constant urge to one up each other.

Happiness is different for everyone, and that’s also the reason why it's so elusive for so many of us. We think one person’s version of happiness must apply to us.

It doesn’t work like that.

You have to find out what makes you happy, not what your parents think happiness is, not your friends, coworkers, or celebrity idol.

It’s up to YOU! And until that realizations settles in then happiness will elude you.

So next time you find yourself in the negative fantasy land bubble, think about how you got up at 6 AMto go to school on all those frigid winter mornings.

It absolutely sucked. But you powered through it, and because of that you made friends, you had relationships, you experienced life, and grew as a person.

It will be painful.

It will be tougher than getting up at 6 AM for school, but it is worth it. Your happiness depends on it, and that’s something worth fighting for.