Are you the type of person who wakes up in the morning, checks the weather and sees that it’s partly cloudy or partly sunny? When life hands you lemons, do you make lemonade? When one door closes, do you find the other door that opens? I could go on and on with these, but you get the point.

Ultimately, we make the choice if we are going to live a happy life. A person’s attitude can determine their quality of life. It's an interesting concept. It seems as if we must view the glass as half full when we need it the most. There are times when it feels we can't see past the glass being half empty, but that is exactly when it is most important to view it as the opposite.

Now, of course, things will go wrong and tragedies will happen. As humans, we are bound to fail. It's simply part of life. In order to grow, we must make mistakes. But it is how we bounce back from those mistakes that matters. If we can live through these things and still see the bright side of any situation, then we have mastered the art of optimism.

It can be hard to stay positive when surrounded by negativity. I’m sure we all know someone who is constantly complaining about something. Even if everything is going exactly how they want, they seem to make it their mission to point out pessimistic elements. It’s like they can only be happy when making others miserable. And in my opinion, that doesn’t count as true happiness. In this situation, we must not stoop down to their level. Instead, focus on trying to bring them up. Show them that every cloud has a silver lining. Sure, some people will never change. It's who they are and they do not wish to view the world in a positive light. In this case, we do not need those people in our lives.

Happiness does not always come naturally. It is a force of habit. The more we try to be optimistic, the easier it will become. We must not dwell on what we don't have and instead focus on what we do have. Doing this will positively reflect all aspects of our lives, whether that be work, school, friends or family.

Now I am making the choice. I choose to live a life where my glass is half full, where it's partly sunny. I choose to try to find positives in any situation. I choose to concentrate on what I have right in front of me rather than what I do not have. Where there is a will, there is a way. Whenever you're having doubts, just remember that J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before someone finally accepted and published "Harry Potter."