I love to be happy. Above any career, any photoshoot, or above any amount of money, I want to be happy. I want to be as optimistic and enjoy life as much as I possibly can without being fake. I want to mean everything I say and put thought in everything I do. One thing I felt like I needed to do was be open. Be open with everyone about my struggles growing up with not only weight but other issues. If you name it, I have probably been through it. I was so scared about doing all of this, but I could not shut up and sit down. I felt like this was something I was born to do. I am so glad I did it. I have helped a lot of people but more so, I have helped myself. Of course, there has also been negativity. When you allow yourself to be open and share intimate and personal details of your life and your story some people want to dig in and try to use everything against you and want to see you fall. Furthermore some people will flat out not like you. No particular reason, they just do not like you. I accept that and I respect that. I have built a strong core.
I love to study people and their behaviors. In doing so, I always ask: Why? One of the top behaviors I have witnessed and that I am guilty of is putting all of my happiness into one person. The foundation of the reason you smile built on one person or maybe even one object. I have never liked that. I do not believe in pouring oneself into a person solely for happiness of their own. Because often times, you are left alone. People come in and out of your life, they change, and sometimes they betray you. When all of the chaos comes to an end, what do you have? Yourself. No matter what you go through in life or what you are left with, you will always have yourself. You must become the foundation of your happiness.
This is something I work on every single day of my life. It is a struggle but an amazing struggle to go through because I constantly learn more about myself and constantly challenge myself to be better. I have noticed that there are a few key elements in what I practice to keep myself happy and I want to share that with you. We all have bad days, extremely bad days,good days, days that we wish would never end, and sometimes days where you wish you were not here. I have been and lived through it all and I just turned 21.
I start my foundation with my attitude and how I perceive things. So often I let one negative comment or event ruin my entire day. Especially if it something I really want to go a certain way and it did not. I have learned though, that is life. You will not get everything you want nor will everything go your way. You can't change the way things happen sometimes but you can always change the way you take it. This is something that takes a long time to truly endure and takes a lot of life experiences. Keep a positive attitude. It is the start of change to building your foundation and helping better your life. One exercise that I do everyday is for every negative issue that comes my way, I think of two positive things about myself or what I am thankful for.
If you're not happy with something or someone, make changes. If you cannot make a change, change the way you think about it. It really is that simple. I have found myself in this place a lot. Whether it is bills, a mortgage, a family member, spouse, or anything. If you are tied down and cannot make a change at time the time you want, result back to your attitude because that is something no one can ever control except you. Don't complain. I try to keep my complaining to an absolute minimum, and make the best of a situation I am in if I cannot change it at the time. Change can be one of the scariest "verbs" out there, but it can be the best.
This element coincides with change. It's hope. We all need hope. Keeping yourself motivated, knowing you can make a change for the better, and ensuring yourself things will get better is hope. If you are in a place where you can not make a change give yourself something to hope for. Hope gives powerful strength to mind and body and can instill happiness in your life.
Another element to my keys of happiness is helping other people. Spread positive energy to everyone. You always get back what you put in. Helping someone else have a better day will bounce right back to you. If you are jealous, angry, or say and do negative things to other people that is what you will get back in return. I have often been told that I am too nice or too "sweet". But the truth is, I have taught myself that there is good in everyone. Most of the time if you truly see someone and not just look at them, it is not hard to find good. Never be afraid to make someone else smile.
One of the most important assets of being the foundation to your happiness is to constantly challenge and work to better yourself. Have you ever thought; "What makes me happy?", "What do I want?". To truly be happy, one must know themselves. I work on this everyday! I discover new things about myself all the time. Exploring who we are is one of the best journey's throughout life. Give yourself goals and challenges, and make yourself work hard for them. The best things in life do not come easy, that is why were cherish so dearly what we have to work for and earn. I better myself everyday by continuing my journey of health and getting in great shape because not only do I want to compete, but I want to live a long and active lifestyle. If I have a bad day or I am mentally feeling low I give myself a challenge. I prove to myself just how hard I can work and that I will not give up when things get hard. Write down things you want in life and determine how you are going to get there. Find out what you are good at and try to make yourself better. Ask yourself what you enjoy in life and surround yourself with it. Happiness is not from another person, nor is it given to us. Happiness is truly discovering who we are and taking control.
All of these elements go together. They each have their own significance and play a part in why I do what I do. I exercise these elements daily and over the years it has taught me to be a better person and taught me how to find strength when I feel weak, find cheer when I feel depressed, and find joy when I feel angry. It all has to start with a positive attitude. If you have something in your life that makes you not happy, make a change. If you cannot yet make a change then give yourself hope. While practicing all of that, practice setting goals and bettering yourself.
"Until you are happy with who you are, you will never be happy with what you have." -Zig Ziglar
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