Happiness is defined as the quality or state of pleasure, contentment, or joy. There are obvious occasions where we as humans feel happy in times of great excitement and joy. However, I wonder about those other times when we aren't aware of our happiness. How do we know if we are truly happy if nothing exciting is happening to bring it out?

I took on the challenge of keeping a gratitude journal for a week. I recorded three things I was grateful for at the end of each day and didn't allow myself to repeat any of them. I thought it would be difficult to find that much happiness in each day of my life. The first day I tried thinking back through my day looking for things to be grateful for, but this only gave me shallow and basic things. On the second day, I had a revelation while hunting for gratitude. I began thinking about times in my day that I was genuinely happy and I looked into why I had been happy. I realized that these were the moments in my day that I was most grateful for because they weren't events that I would have normally see as a small blessing. These were events like running into a friend after getting a bad test grade back, or the barista giving you an extra shot of espresso out of kindness.

As the week went on, I began writing four and five things down easily because I found so much to be grateful for. The overwhelming amount of things to be grateful for humbled me in more ways than one. Instead of getting frustrated or annoyed at the little things, I focused on the silent blessings each day brought me. Upon finishing my challenge, I felt weightless and empowered knowing that if I ever failed at anything, I could look back in my journal and find the inspiration to dust off and try again.

The commitment of keeping a consistent gratitude journal is daunting for anyone. Not only is it somewhat time-consuming, it can be scary when you can't find anything to be grateful for. Well, I have a challenge for you. Tonight before you go to bed, try and think of just three things that you are genuinely grateful for. These don't have to be only things that give you joy but also think of things that help you get through your hardships. Once you find your three, let the happiness you felt then be revived in your heart as you close your eyes. If you can continue this for an entire week, you will be surprised at how big of a difference one small week of gratitude can make. The daily challenges you face won't be such heavy burdens for you to bear.

The gratitude journal is your ticket to true happiness, and I sincerely hope you take it. Don't wait to be happy. Be happy now.