“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

This is the saying that my dad drilled into my head as a child. This is the saying that gives me the mindset to make the best of any situation that comes my way. This is the saying that I structure my every thought around when making even the simplest decisions. And this is the saying that I credit my happy life to.

The older I get and the more people I meet, I have realized that I am one of the lucky ones in this world. I am not lucky because I haven’t dealt with hardship in my life yet, because I have. I am one of the lucky ones because I was raised knowing the power of a positive mindset. I naturally look at the good in not-so-good situations. Although this way of life seems to be in my blood at this point, there is always room for improvement. I encourage everyone out there to make steps at a positive mindset because this world is not meant for the mentally weak.

There are many self-help articles on the internet that list step by step directions on how to become a happy person, but to me there is only one step that will ever make a difference to someone. The most important step is realizing that being a happy person is a conscious choice. If we want to become happy people, the responsibility is ours. Our generation tends to place the blame on anything and everything but ourselves. By doing so, we have forgotten how much control we have over our own thoughts. Our thoughts trigger our emotions and our emotions influence our actions. Our actions represent us; therefore, our thoughts signify the type of person we are choosing to be in this world.

Once we realize that being a happy person is a lifestyle choice, our quality of life becomes limitless. Negative mindsets narrow our thoughts and make our world seem so small. Once we redirect our thoughts to look at the positive side of things, the world will seem so much bigger and the little worries will become an issue of the past. Without carrying around the weight of mental baggage, we will see a clear path ahead of us and naturally prioritize steps to make the best of the time we have here on earth.

Being happy is the most attractive quality a person can have. Being happy is contagious. So, let’s get our smile on and spread the power of positivity. (: