"Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome" -Unknown

It is safe to say that life can be a bit challenging at times, and at this moment you probably aren't 100% happy. I think the true secret of happiness is knowing that it's an inside job. That you can have a crap job, live somewhere less than desirable, possibly even have health problems, and yup – you can still be extremely happy. It's about realizing that life doesn't happen TO you, it happens FOR you. So despite all the crappiness and outside factors that life might throw your way, it is up to you to not use it as an excuse to use self-pity over being genuinely happy and embracing it.

After working on myself and my own growth, I've realized that having a high sense of self-worth or a high self-esteem and knowing you are worthy of being happy, is the key to true happiness and leading a fulfilled and joyful life.

I'm going to say that again.

Knowing as a truth that you are worthy of happiness = experiencing a high level of happiness.

End of story. It's not something that can be bought or physically acquired or that someone else can pull you into. You have to do the work to get the results. You have to focus on yourself and yourself only. I think part of the problem people face is because they stay surrounded with negativity. I know it isn't easy getting away from it all, but you've got to remove it. Make it disappear. Surrounding yourself with negative energy is a surefire way to get wrapped up in negative thoughts yourself. If something or someone is taking away from your ability to feel happy and peaceful, something needs to be done to deal with it or remove that negativity from your life completely.

Negative thoughts. We've all had them. These thoughts are the BIGGEST problem in anyone's life. They get stuck in your head and make you blind to all of the good that surrounds you. I am horrible when it comes to negative thoughts. To get over them, I just push them to the side and focus on the good. Let the good outweigh the bad.

Let go of perfectionism and give yourself the same forgiveness you give to others. Be selfless. I am guilty when it comes to being selfless. I put others feelings over mine because I want what's best for them. I CHOOSE to be this way, and frankly, I don't mind it. We are all on a journey of improving ourselves and constantly making progress and no one can be expected to be perfect all of the time, yourself included. Don't beat yourself up and make yourself feel worse when you mess up or make a mistake. Forgive yourself, move on, and grow from that experience.

I will admit that I listen to my heart more than my head. And sometimes our heart tells us things we don't want to hear. Maybe it's a gut feeling that we ignore because it requires us to make decisions we don't want to make because they are uncomfortable or they require more strength from us than we feel we have to give. I say listen to your heart anyway and try to make decisions and choices in your life that align with what you truly want, not what you think you should want.

I believe that there is good that comes out of every single day; we just have to look for it. Even on the days where it seems like there is nothing to smile about or that the entire day is rough, I can guarantee that there are still at least a handful of things you can be grateful for in your life. Gratitude can make an appearance the more you start looking for it, the more you start seeing it and experiencing it.

"Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others." -Christopher Germer

The moral of the story is that life may throw some obstacles at you, it is your job to dodge these obstacles and overcome the difficulties. Make yourself a priority. Focus on the positives. Always remember, the good will ALWAYS outweigh the bad. So if someone hasn't told you this lately, know that YOU are worthy of happiness and living a wonderful life ♡ We all are.