To live life with a kind heart may be the single most important decision we ever make.

Life is hard enough on all of us. We all face many different kinds of trials and tribulations, so why make it worse by living with sadness and anger? Especially in today's political and social climate, we should be treating others how we want to be treated— with kindness and respect. We can only start doing that when we open our hearts to the possibility of love and kindness in all areas of our lives.

Just the idea of living with a kind heart makes living better in general, in any capacity. To tackle any obstacle with a glass half full frame of mind is enough to turn any situation around. Sometimes that mountain of work can seem like an opportunity to take time to yourself. Or, that awkward social situation could be an opportunity to make a new friend. No matter what, life is always throwing us opportunities to learn and grow; We should be open to receiving these opportunities.

Understandably, it can be difficult to approach everything with optimism. However, if I've learned anything in my short 19 years, is that when life's got you down, fake it till you make it. According to The Atlantic, just faking a smile will decrease your stress, and at the very least make you giggle in the process. Obviously we all have difficult times, but having a positive philosophy in your arsenal will give you an advantage at whatever life can throw at you.

This life can be scary and mean enough as it is. We may as well try to make this world better any way that we can while we're here. Life is too short to harbor hatred, to hold grudges, and to hold on to stress. That doesn't mean that we certainly won't ever feel sadness or anger, but the sooner we make an effort to rise above, the sooner we will all start to feel better.