I’ve come to learn a few things in my ripe old age of 22. In fact, I learn something new every single day. Whether it’s to disregard crosswalk signals and literally watch the traffic before you cross in order to avoid an untimely death, or that La Boulange has the best iced latte I’ve ever had in my life – it’s always something.

More importantly (not saying that avoiding getting hit by oncoming traffic and drinking the finest iced latte ever made aren’t important) I’ve learned that happiness is another one of those things you have to create.

I heard this song the other day (don’t make fun) and the lyrics really resonated with me.

“Someone just tell me that it’s ok now/What are you worried about/Got my dreams, got my life, got my love/Got my friends, got the sunshine from above/Why am I being so hard on myself/When there’s so many beautiful reasons I have to be happy/People lie, people hide, people cry, people fight/And they don’t know why/If fear is all that we should fear/Then what are we so afraid of/Cause fear is only in our heads”

“Happy” by Natasha Bedingfield

So, as a writer often does, I took a step back and listened to these words. Then, of course, applied some analysis.

I find that many people (including myself) focus on the negative things in their lives. No matter what great, spectacular things are going on in their lives, they’ll find the one thing that bugs them, the one damn thing that they can’t seem to get under control, and they focus on that. That one, tiny, insignificant little insect that they can’t squash. Or maybe it’s more than just one thing. Regardless, instead of looking at all the great things that make them completely content in their lives, they choose to dwell on the things that don’t. They get in their own way of achieving their happiness.

Perhaps people are just scared of being truly happy. They don’t know what it feels like and if they allow themselves to be completely overcome by this one emotion, they feel vulnerable. And if they’re vulnerable, it seemingly makes it that much easier for someone or something to come in and take it all away.

But, like Natasha sings, “fear is only in our heads.” And she’s right. We create fear just like we have the ability to create happiness. Yes, sometimes shit goes wrong. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. But we just have to keep chugging along and remember all of the good things that have happened. And if we can’t remember the last good thing that’s happened, make it happen.

Every single day, every single moment, we have the choice to think positively or to think negatively. Sometimes it’s easy. Most of the time it’s hard. But it’s a choice.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I haven’t mastered this. Hell, I haven’t even come close. But each day, I try and make it a point to think about all the wonderful things in my life.

And I think you should, too.