It's my Sunny Side of Gray mentality that leads me to believe that happy people are truly one of a kind - they march to their own happy beat, they dream big for themselves and for others.  Happy people create more happy people by smiling at strangers, thinking good thoughts, sharing their positivity and faith with others.  Ultimately, like the quote above says, happy people "do not have the best of everything, they make the best of everything they have."

I consider myself a happy person.  And I'm not talking about a "relatively" happy person.  When asked the question "Are you a happy person?" so many people say "I'm relatively happy."  Granted the level of happiness from one person to the next is subjective, but if your goal in life is to constantly be inspired, then I'd say you're a happy person - start removing the "relatively" from it and just BE YOU!

 

In today's crazy world, people always ask me how I stay a happy person - and to be honest, it's not that easy.  I have my days too - the days that get away from you and fear, anxiety, and stress kicks you down.  The days where you ask yourself how you're going to move forward.  It's these days that push my eternal optimism to its limits.  But it's optimism - in any shape, level, or form - that keeps me going.  A true optimist needs a certain set of reminders, mantras, intentions, or goals to get to what they really want to achieve in life.  So in case you're wondering, here are some of the tips and tricks that keep me motivated:

  1. { Count your Thanks! } Every night before going to bed, list 3 things that you're grateful for in that moment - it'll change everyday!  It'll keep you more aware of the good (and not the bad).  Download this print out and support some of my favorite people The Krochet Kids on their mission to "share the gratitude" :)
  2. { Cheese really Big }  Look into the mirror and smile as big as you possibly can!  It's silly, but you'll end up laughing at yourself and at least for a few seconds, you'll be less stressed and refreshed.
  3. { Visualize Positivity }  Sometimes the power of thought gets lost in the shuffle from day to day, but the power of positive prayer or intentions really goes a long way.