Last night as I was scrolling through Facebook, I finally grasped the concept that life is so short. We all hear throughout our lives to "to live in the moment" because we don't have very long on this earth, but it never stuck in my mind until last night. I saw yet another person diagnosed with cancer. So for a grand total, I have one good friend in the hospital battling for her life with leukemia, another friend who's dad died from colon cancer, and I just saw an old teammate's brother has been diagnosed with cancer and it's spreading. Not to mention my own mom past away from breast cancer after battling it since I was in Elementary school. Death and illness is taking over so many beautiful people's lives and the rest of us have to watch our loved ones hurting. While there are no surefire ways to not get sick or avoid death, there are things that you can do to help prevent it, and to make the life you do get to live extra fulfilling. And that's what life is all about, right?

For starters, taking care of your mind is probably the most important thing you can do for yourself. Many people think physical wellness is the most vital thing to keeping a healthy lifestyle, but if you're physically fit, it doesn't make much difference if you're mentally unwell. It is so important to have a positive outlook on life and to just be a happy person. I know that's easier said than done, but you have to try. Happiness is a choice, and you can either wake up, and choose to tackle the day with a smile, or choose to have a crappy day. If you're battling an illness or even depression, however, happiness sometimes isn't a choice. It's hard. But telling yourself that you can fight it and saying affirmations can't hurt, and should actually help! You can Google affirmations and maybe put them on your mirror to say to yourself every day before the day gets started, such as "My body is healthy; my mind is brilliant; my soul is tranquil." Saying things like this out loud truly does help, and as your body hears this and if you believe it while you say it, your body heals along with your mind. And when you feel yourself getting angry, try using techniques to calm you down. Being a ball of stress and anger is not healthy at all and can cause your body to not function correctly.

Next comes taking care of your body. Everyone knows that we should limit processed foods and sugar and eat our veggies, but take it to heart. This doesn't mean that you can't splurge. If eating an ice cream cone once in a while is going to make you happy, then eat the ice cream cone. It's all about being the happiest you can be at all times. With this being said, eating nutritious food will make you feel, look, and just be better. Putting junk into your body, and not balancing protein, carbs, iron, fiber and other nutrients you need for years can cause cancer or other illnesses. Balanced diets and drinking lots of water to keep things moving starting at an early age will drastically improve your health and will definitely help prevent illness down the line. We need to be taking care of our kids from a young age and teaching them good eating habits. And just as importantly, exercise is key to being happy and healthy. Not only does it lower blood pressure, make you stronger, all those endorphins that are released during exercise are awesome! I have never, not once, been unhappy while working out, even if it's really hard. You just feel so good after and ready to tackle the day.

Lastly, taking care of your soul and spirit is very important as well. Meditation is a great way to do this, as well as really thinking about and figuring out what you believe. Whether you are religious or not, knowing what you believe can help guide you through life and make you feel more confident. This will cause you to have higher self-esteem and more sure of yourself and your decisions. Meditating and yoga can calm you down, make you less stressed and anxious (which can lead to cancer too if you're constantly stressed or anxious!) and improve cognitive function.

All three of these things are vital to your health, and a balance must be maintained. If one portion is out of whack, then your body will be off balance. A healthy mind and a healthy body will definitely help prevent diseases and just make you a happier person. This in turn will help you live a fulfilling life full of fun and joy!

All of these things sound obvious, but so often we forget to take care of ourselves, especially our minds. Stop putting yourself down so much. Give a compliment or a smile to a random stranger. Go out to dinner with your best friends and give yourself a break from homework. If you really think about it, the purpose of this life is to just enjoy it. So just do what you need to do to be happy day by day and don't think too far into the future. If you live each day to the fullest, then you'll end up having an amazing life.