The Happiness Experiment

Hello Bloggers! So tonight, my roommate Melissa was telling me about this book called The Happiness Experiment. No, I didn't put down everything to go read this book. But it did get me thinking about the meaning of happiness and made me wonder if I am truly happy. And here is what I have decided: Yes, I am happy. I may not always get the grades I want, or be happy with my friends. I may be miserable and lonely some nights. I may not have run as many miles as I wanted. I may have had an asthma attack. But these things should not determine my happiness. I like to think of happiness as a state of mind. I truly believe that happiness is looking at a situation, no matter how terrible it is, and enduring it. Gritting your teeth and pushing your way through, constantly looking for the happiness on the other side. Now, this doesn't mean that having a good cry once in a while means you are failing at being happy. In fact, I spent quite some time last night crying in my bed. No shame. I miss Devin, school is hard, my asthma made me not feel well, and it gets lonely sometimes. So I cried. Did it do any good? Not really, other than making me feel emotionally better. So yeah, I cry sometimes! And sometimes I get cranky! But when I look at my life, I know I am happy. Here is why:

1. My family is happy. We lost our Nonno, which was sad beyond belief. I miss him every day. But I know he is in a happier place, pain free. And that gives me joy, knowing that he is happy and looking out for me. I am happy because I had him in my life and he was such an example of strength and endurance. I strive to be happy because I know he would want me to be.

2. Things with my friends are better and we are happy again. We all worked our way through our personal demons and have found each other again.

3. My roommates are seriously Godsends. They are supportive, kind, and always make me feel better, even without knowing it. 3 S's and a Special K. We are quite the group of girls.

4. Devin may be gone, but he is doing amazing work. I miss him every day. More than I think most people realize. But even on nights where I am so lonely and miserable, I am happy. As I told him, we may be happier together, but that doesn't mean we can't be happy now. I need to be happy now, in my own life, to know that I can be happy with him in ours. And I am happy, because he is doing God's work.

5. Anatomy may kick me in the shorts, but I will keep trying and studying. I find joy in the small achievements in that class. For instance, I touched a cadaver for the first time. And it didn't make me want to vomit. I take that as something to be happy about!

So here is lesson #4: Be happy. Don't let the world get you down. Smile more. Help a stranger. Go on a run. Enjoy nature. Take a nap. Do whatever makes you happy and enjoy all the small things in life. Soon they will add up to a bigger picture full of happiness.

So always remember...

All good things....come to those who are HAPPY.