Happiness Is A Choice

 

Now that I have your attention, I wanted to start off by saying:

I hate that quote, with every fiber of my being.

I like "Happiness is a habit" better.

Yes, every day you have a choice.

Am I going to have a good day or am I going to have a bad day?

Am I going to eat frosted flakes or honey nut cheerios?

Am I going to lay in bed all day + cry to a soundtrack of sad love songs + only take breaks to drink water so I can continue to produce tears or am I going to go exercise + do DIY projects + film youtube videos + go volunteer +  hang out with friends + try a new restaurant for dinner?

Countless decisions are made every day.

For whatever reason, I hate the way "Happiness is a choice" sounds.

Habit sounds better.

Practice good habits.

You have to practice happiness.

It takes 21 days to break a bad habit.

Consistency is key.

Every day you have to practice happiness, especially when you've grown accustomed to being sad.

You have to be what you want to attract into your life.

If you're manipulative, you're going to attract manipulative people.

Normally, I'm not a fan of cliche quotes but they're necessary sometimes:

1. "Birds of a feather flock together."
2. "Iron sharpens iron."
3. "If you lay down with dogs you'll wake up with fleas."

People and their habits can be contagious. If you're already in a low place and you constantly surround yourself with other people who are also unhappy, why would you ever be motivated to improve the quality of your life? It's like pouring gasoline on an already out of control dumpster fire.

But contrary to popular belief. people are capable of change.

 People do change, for the better.

Anybody who says otherwise can take their rightful seat in the dustbin.

Some habits I've started practicing :

1. Exercise! Exercising releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.  Anytime I catch myself wanting to be a hopeless chicken nugget I go on a long run. Once I'm finished I have so much energy to do just about anything. Being productive = Also makes me happy.
2. Clean eating. For the last 3 years my eating habits have been absolute TRASH! This year I've picked up long distance running and I've learned the hard way that you cannot outwork a bad diet.  I've always thought I was cute (in the least cocky way possible). Nk 30lbs heavier was cute. But I really really like shreddy abs/back + toned legs + healthy amount of jiggle/muscle booty Nk. As soon as I decided to get serious and only eat crap on special occasions everything started to shape up, literally. I love warm bread. I love a 3 pack of glazed Hot N Ready Krispy Kreme doughnuts after work.  I love rice. I love carbs. Carbs make me happy. Carbs also make me look like I'm 7 months pregnant. As soon as I cut down on my carb intake + fried and breaded foods the bloating was almost nonexistent. My morning abs = my all day abs. I'm not on some stupid keto diet because I'm a firm believer that things like that don't work. Just learn how to eat better and eat things in moderation. When I want donuts or candy I eat fruit or make a smoothie. Just find the next best thing. I drink more water than juice so I'm not craving juice all the time. I knew I was getting serious when I started going to Chick-Fil-A on days I didn't have time to pack my lunch and started ordering grilled nuggets with a salad or a greek yogurt parfait instead of fries + breaded nuggets or a breaded sandwich. Good things in moderation. Don't get me wrong, I still love a Route 44 green apple slushie with a footlong chili cheese coney. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
3. Weekly check-ins with my friends. It's easy to play the blame game + play the victim and say "Susan never texts me so we never talk. She must not care about me." I like talking to people. I love talking to my friends, often. So every week I try to text them at least once just to see what's up or tell them all the random thoughts floating through my head. It makes no longer living in the same zip code + time zone more manageable. It also starts a chain of reciprocity.
4. Reconnect with your faith. Every day I read my bible app. I like that it has a streak of how many days you've been consistent. It's refreshing to read God's promises he has for your life. It's also refreshing to know that even if you don't understand why something is happening, God is working overtime for your benefit.
5. Gratitude journal. I found a gratitude journal at Michaels for around $5 and it's the best. You have to find the good in every situation, even when it seems absolutely impossible. Example: Instead of complaining about working 7 days straight I should be thankful that 1) I have TWO jobs. 2) I am able to work. 3)I get paid to learn. 4)I get to help a diverse patient population which will one day make me a more compassionate nurse.
6. Less is more. I get in these moods when I just want to throw everything away. Sometimes it's scary. It's always refreshing when I'm finished. Downsizing helps me to appreciate the few good things without all the clutter to cloud my judgment. I'd rather have a few somethings than a million nothings. 
7. Selfless acts. I was once called selfish by someone who meant the world to me and it hurt my feelings. Like really hurt me to my core. I lingered on that for weeks. I even went around on a "Is Nk selfish? campaign" asking everyone "do you think I'm selfish, honestly?" I know I'm not a selfish person. We all have selfish tendencies, but overall I am not a selfish person. It feels good to help someone else, at least for me. Selfless acts don't have to involve money. It could be making a care package for a friend because they miss home. It could be stopping to give a stranger (little old lady) directions from your google maps because it's getting dark, she doesn't know the area and she's trying to catch her bus home. Being selfless doesn't always mean inconveniencing yourself.

Happiness is something you have to work at daily. It won't be easy, but anything worth doing is worth some extra effort.

Cheers to practicing healthy + happy habits!