If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my twenty years of living, it’s that being happy is a CHOICE that you make. During my most recent semester of college, I went through a time when I was constantly exposed to toxicity. The people I decided to surround myself contributed to a semester full of anxiety and essentially drained me both physically and mentally. As someone who is typically a happy person, I felt like I wasn’t acting like myself, and I knew something had to change.

This summer, I’ve been selfish. I’ve just been a normal college student working my booty off at my summer job, taking a summer class, living with my parents, and spending time with old friends. I’ve been focusing on my passions and exploring what kind of life I want to have in the future. And honestly, these past couple months in such a supportive environment have completely reverted me back to the happy person that I used to be.

I haven’t been worrying about those who made me transform into the worst version of myself. I haven’t been blaming myself anymore for other peoples’ problems. And I don’t feel guilty for choosing what’s best for myself. Why? Because life is too short to be anything less than happy.

Although my previous semester is something that I never want to repeat, I‘ve learned SO much about who I am and the kind of person that I do and don’t want to be. I want to be the person who lives a life where you always feel like “!!!!” inside. I want to be the person who confidently and unwaveringly decides who and what is positively influencing your life, and unapologetically removes the negative things.

I was originally going to write an article on little tips to make you happy. Little things like smiling more, drinking more water, or other things that don’t necessarily help that much in terms of your true happiness. But one thing that actually helps the most? YOU. Only you are in charge of your one and precious life. So why not live a happy one???