“Happiness is letting go of what your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is.”

“How can you be happy, if you’re not yet where you want to be?  Isn’t that settling or being complacent about where you are?”  All valid questions that come up when I speak to college girls and groups of women about how to be strong, confident and happy.  But, over the years I have learned that overall happiness is not rooted in certain outcomes, but in living in the present and in a state of contentment.  Sure, getting an A on a test or going to Disneyland will make you momentarily happy.  But, to generally be a happy person, you cannot let circumstances and situations change your general state or equilibrium.  A happy person knows that certain things are temporary.  That doesn’t mean that happy people don’t experience the wide range of life’s emotions.  You can be a happy person and get angry, feel sad, and be upset, but you know you won’t feel that way the rest of your life.

I think a lot of people put off happiness.  They say, they can’t be happy until they pass a class, make more money, find a husband, get the dream job, etc.  Unfortunately, this is how many people live and I, too, felt like this for a while right after I graduated college and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life.  You cannot place your happiness on external things or things you feel give you validation.  I believe happiness stems from being content with where you are in your journey, while still working hard and striving to reach new horizons.  When you’re working towards something and truly live in the moment, your experiences are magnified and I believe that is when you realize and create your own happiness from the inside.

xx