By Anianne Rivera
"Being happy is a choice, and a choice that you must make daily."
When was the last time that you were truly happy? The last time you felt calm, and just breathed in and signed from contentment?
Those moments are coming to your head so quickly you can barely put a finger on one before the next one pops up. Or all you can do is shrug because not much is coming to mind.
There are two main problems.
First, so much of happiness these days is linked to things. Once you have the shoes, the yacht, the house, the knight in shining armor, the clothes, THEN you’ll reach happiness.
You work hard, spend the money, but that only lasts a short amount of time. You don’t stay high for long.
So once again, you find yourself yearning for something more.
That feeling you’re searching for isn’t linked to anything you can buy.
It’s linked to moments.
Second problem is, as human beings we wait for the BIG moments in life to be excited. It could be buying a new house, traveling internationally, having a baby, getting engaged, but how often do those things really happen?
Not often enough. So, you end up spending more time being disappointed than actually happy.
Now, put those two problems together and you find yourself living a life celebrating the BIG successes and buying items to fill the everyday hole you created because life feels mundane.
Imagine instead as your day went on you were consciously aware of things that could put a smile on your face if you just acknowledged them.
Small moments that may seem minuscule at the time, but added on top of each other leave you with a feeling of utter gratitude and joy every single day.
You may be driving home from work replaying the “what the f**k” moments of the day. It might make you frustrated and annoyed all over again. What you’re missing out on is smiling that you are hitting every green light on the way home.
Instead of being irritated at the barista for taking so long to make your latte, take a second to breathe in and appreciate the smell of coffee that gets you moving in the morning.
It could also be as simple as smiling at a stranger, and them smiling back.
When you start to notice these minor events, your entire energy shifts and changes.
It no longer takes buying a new car for you to light up. When you spend the day acknowledging those moments you naturally radiate positive energy.
The universe feels that energy and responds in kind.
The biggest question I get asked is “How do I start to do this!?”
Easy. You just do.
When you find yourself getting bugged, take a deep breath, look around and find something small to smile at.
Being happy is a choice, and a choice that you must make daily.
So why am I happy?
Because I choose to be.
It’s as simple as that.
Anianne has spent the last 10 years as a hairstylist. Her journey began in Missouri but has now brought her to Laguna Beach, California. She is the Lead Trainer for Big Money Stylist, BMS, training other artists in learning Natural Beaded Rows extensions. Along with NBR education, Anianne’s main focus is leading women through finding balance inside of their personal and professional lives. But her real goal in life is to own a library as large as the one in Beauty and the Beast. So if she isn’t working, you’ll find her curled up with an assortment of books.