If happiness is a choice, why aren't you choosing it?

There isn’t one right way to be happy. There isn’t a specific formula that everyone must follow to find true happiness. There isn’t a secret recipe on the back of the Lucky Charms box. (Which is really too bad, that would be awesome.) In fact, what works for one person may not work for another because finding our happy is deeply personal. But it is possible and is entirely up to each of us.

Happiness is a choice. Whether we want to believe it or not, we are responsible for how happy we are.

There is a lot of power in realizing that we are in charge of our own happiness. No one else gets to call the shots. And while our friends and family can be a part of our “happiness team” they don’t get to decide how to play the game or what that game even looks like. The best cheering section is the one that will cheer you on no matter what.

After all, life brings certain obstacles that can challenge everything we’ve ever known about being happy. There are times when it is incredibly difficult to find the joy and the light when it feels like everything has been turned upside-down and backwards. In fact, when you’re in the trenches, someone telling you that happiness is a choice may be the last thing you want to hear. But it’s being able to find that spark, that light, that one thing you can hold on to that will allow you to see the good up ahead-lighting the way through the dark. And following that light, knowing that happiness is a possible option, can make all the difference in the world.

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Jill Mansfield lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters and their adorable labradoodle pup. She navigates the daily chaos with the perfect playlists and comfortable shoes. She can always be found at Life of Jill or Cap City Moms and is having fun on Twitter as @MrsChaos.