Every Day is a Good Day

Spring is in the air (finally) and it's time to start smelling the hypothetical roses, everybody. This week we're talking about happiness.
     Most people do not consider themselves to be truly happy. Can we please change this?! Last week, as I rushed into my first period class tardy after sleeping through my alarm, a classmate jokingly asked me how my morning was. I chewed on my pop tart and decided, "Good! We only have a few weeks of high school left, and every day is going to be good for the rest of the school year." They wished me luck with that sarcastically and went back to their notes, but I took that promise to myself seriously and have reminded myself of that challenge every day since. Guess how many bad days I've had since then? That's correct: ZERO. It's not that my life is any different, but my outlook and attitude are.
     Happiness is not an effect others can have on you, or an obligation anyone else has to supply you with. Happiness is a daily decision we can all make. As John Cusack's character Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything asks, "How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood once in a while?" It's completely up to us. I know that that sadness and depression are very serious, and I'm no doctor, but I truly believe that if everyone just made the decision to be happy, they could and would be. I'm proving it to myself as an experiment of my own, and so far so good! It's not always easy, as life certainly isn't always easy, and I constantly have to remind myself. But all I have to do is smile and say, "Today is a good day. Every day is a good day." Because that is the truth.
     Whether or not you think your life is awesome, you've got life, and that is awesome. My dad called me while I was writing this, and when I told him about my happiness theory, he agreed with a quote from somewhere neither of us could remember exactly what movie or book from, but a profound quote just the same: "Wherever you go, there you are." That's really all there is to it. You are where you are, so you can complain and be miserable about that, or make a change and choose to be happy. If you are in a situation you are not particularly content with, ask yourself, "Can I do anything about this?" If you can, do! If you can't, then let go, move on, and find your own happiness despite whatever you are working against. He then added his own thoughts, "It's always a good day, our experiences are just different every day."
    Regardless of the way you feel your life is going at the moment, take a second to smile and love it anyway.  It might sound ridiculous, but I'm extending my challenge. Instead of deciding to have a good day every day until school is over, I'm going to make every day for the rest of my life a great day. I invite you to join me in my Every Day is a Good Day project. If you so choose to participate, I'd love to hear from you if you e-mail me at AnnaRose_726@hotmail.com. Remember, every day is as good, great, and wonderful as you make it. Make it a good one and choose to be happy. You've got nothing to lose but negativity and bad days.
Always, Anna