Do you remember when you were a young child? Perhaps in pre-school or younger. I remember my daily checklist started popping right out of bed in the morning, being fed an amazing breakfast, playing outside all day long and then doing it all over again the next day. The toddler life was so good. Even in kindergarten when they started to limit our snacks, playtime and forced us to take naps, we were living the dream. When I look back, it seemed like my childhood was packed with happiness, snacks, and playtime. Life is meant to be lived with this kind of happiness every single day, and we have the choice to live like this every day. 

In second grade, the day always looked the same. I would wake up every morning begging my parents to let me stay home from school. After being told the usual “no” I would grit my teeth and suffer through another day. When I got to school, instead of walking laps around the gym waiting for classes to start, I would sprint to the bathroom hoping no one saw me. I would rather wait there by myself, instead of walking alone and hearing the rude comments from the few mean girls in our class. During class I would try very hard to go unnoticed. I wouldn’t answer too many questions, would do my homework silently, and then read my book for the rest of class.  I didn’t want to give any reason for myself to be made fun of, and yet even that routine didn’t seem to work. Then came the worst part of the day…recess. I would try to find a secluded spot to read but I could never escape the unfriendly faces and voices that seemed to follow me everywhere. And finally, when we would be waiting after school for our parents to pick us up, all I would hear were the promises to hang out, and the fun weekend plans that were being made…but was never invited to. I would go home and cry each night and ask the burning question of why I had no friends, and why this was happening to me. I started to live my life in a shell. I would go through the motions of this miserable day over and over again, slowly losing hope that I would ever break the cycle. One night, my dad invited me out for walk to talk about my unhappiness in school. He explained to me that the path of life will be difficult at times. And because of my firm foundation in my faith, I’ll never have to walk the path alone. The thing I remember most of what he told me was that “Sometimes all you have to do is just smile.” For the first time in a long time, I went to bed that night with a positive mindset outlook for the next day. I promised myself that no matter what happens tomorrow, I WILL be happy, and I WILL smile. The next day started out great…but after entering the school I had the sudden urge to sprint to the bathroom again to hide. I almost gave up, but then I remembered the promise I made to myself the night before. I walked into the gym with a forced smile on my face and walked those laps as if nothing was wrong. That first day was tough but each day after got a little bit easier, and soon that forced smile…slowly started turning into a real genuine smile. I started excelling in school again, I wasn’t terrified to answer questions in class, or to confidently read my book at recess. My perspective on life did a 180. Even though I was still experiencing the SAME miserable school day, my CHOICE to be happy is what changed my perspective.

“We each have the choice to be happy in any situation.”

We each have the choice to be happy in any situation. There are many outside forces and temptations that will challenge us in this mindset. Maybe we’re struggling in a certain class and it’s hard to enter with a positive attitude, or even something as simple as bad traffic on our way to school. But there is no way that these temptations can actually steal our happiness. Even when we are having a rough moment or day, we are faced with the choice of giving into the negativity or to respond with a cheerful heart.  With a positive mindset, we can overcome any of life’s challenges.

Take a few moments to think of all the blessings you encountered just today. Maybe you woke up on time and didn’t hit the snooze alarm, maybe you ate a really amazing breakfast, or even noticed that it is a beautiful day to be at Kansas FFA Convention. These small moments that make you smile throughout the day will all start to add up. Now take a moment to think of the all major blessings we are lucky enough to have. A loving family and friends, our health, or maybe unwavering love received from our pets. Make these lists every single time you wake up and before you go to bed. Make these lists when you are facing negativity in your life. Through these lists, we must realize that any bad situation can never outweigh all of the amazing things in our life. There is good in every day. There is more than one reason to smile every day. And remembering the greater blessing in life can help us choose happiness in any situation.

My parents shared so much joy and love with me in elementary school. Without them, I would not be where I am in my life today.  I distinctively remember one day on a car ride home with my mom from a very bad day in school. She asked the normal question, of “how was your day?” While I contemplated my day, which consisted of being picked last for a group project and sitting alone during lunch and recess, My mother’s day was difficult in other ways. She overcomes the challenges of walking, eating, and simple tasks like tying her shoes, daily. My mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her early thirties. This disease impacts her entire body from the inside out. Even though she had already dealt with a day of pain, my mother decided that we would be taking a detour. Arriving at the local pet shop, my heart starting racing. I had been begging my mom for a hamster for at least two years. As we walked in, my mom started to explain to me how she knew things have been tough for me in school. She said that owning this hamster would mean that I have something to look forward to each morning and be excited about after school.  Little did she know that this small act of allowing me to have a hamster helped changed my outlook. Not only because of the joy that hamster brought me, but because my mom, who spends her entire day overcoming her own struggles, set those aside to share her love and joy with me. I now realize that my “hard” day in second grade was not so hard after all. My mother makes sacrifices for me every day, but does it with a smile on her face. No matter what struggles we face, we ALL have the opportunity and chance to share love and happiness with others.

Once we realize that our happiness is a choice, it will be SO hard not to share it. Perhaps when we fill someone else’s bucket, we will find that ours is being filled as well. But far too often hate is spread more than happiness in this world. Luckily for us, the love we show can give others their happiness back. Maybe it’s complimenting a classmate on something they worked really hard on. Or it could be building a friend up after they’ve had a rough day.  We should smile at those classmates that need it the most and become friends with those who aren’t deemed as “cool” by most students. Every single person has love and happiness to share with others. Every single person deserves to feel important, and we can ALL give that to people, by sharing our happiness. One small act of love can truly change a life.

In life, we will encounter rough moments. But it is then our decision if we let those small moments define our entire day. We can give into the negativity, or we can see the positives in any situation. We all have so many blessings to be grateful for. And we all have something that this world needs from us.  We can truly make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. Imagine a life with less stress, pain, sadness, and anger.  And all we have to do…is just smile.