Kathryn Lane: You mustn't be afraid to sparkle a little brighter, my darling.

One of the life-long searches for us is the quest to find ultimate happiness. We quit our jobs, travel the world, get married, have kids, some people find new love, get divorced, start a new life, move cities, figure out their dreams, pursue their dreams, live vicariously through their children, buy animals, love their animals, start new hobbies, and after all of their living and their dreaming the thought of pure joy is a distant and fleeting image that they have always been chasing. Before you know it, they flatline.
Let me start this out by saying- I do not have this completely figured out. I am not happy 100% of the time. I have days that I wake up and am sad, I have nights that I go to sleep and am annoyed, I cry, I whine, I bitch and complain, I get angry..just like we all do. However, I have recently realized that the key to happiness- is just CHOOSING to be happy. When you have a bad day or something or someone makes you mad, it is a normal reaction to get upset, but how you handle it and the amount of time you dwell on it and let it affect your day as well as your life is completely up to you. We can spend our lives upset, or we can make the choice to enjoy our time living in pure thankfulness, happiness, and praising God that we are alive.
Some people are born with what we may consider a better hand of cards than others. Some of us have a 2 of Hearts and some of us have a King of Spades. But let me tell you, I have seen tons of wealthy "all American, picture perfect" families who are incredibly miserable, and some dirt poor people that have tragedy in their family and have somewhat of an "unfair" life, that are happier than about 99% of the population. No matter what your life consists of, the grass can always be greener and life can always appear to be better. There are unfair things that happen to all of us, you just learn how to deal and move on.
In 2010, I lost my nephew and my family just about fell apart. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to go through and my sister and her husband, as well as my parents and I, hung on for dear life. It took us time to heal, which is only natural. But, we rode through the storm and finally are in the light and I am so happy to say that my sister is once again pregnant with a healthy baby girl due at the end of January. Although what happened to us will never go away, we realize that this sweet girl is a blessing, and ultimately are focusing our happiness and energy on that. We are so excited to meet her and spoil the hell out of her with our love and joy (and yes, baby gifts).
There will always be people trying to bring you down in life, and experiences that really suck, but making the decision to not let it affect you negatively will change your life and your situation. You will never truly know happiness by continuously searching for it, you just have to make the choice on your own. I once heard that it takes 21 days to create a habit. So, I challenge you, I will join in with you, for the next 21 days to wake up and smile and make the CHOICE to be happy that day. It may seem awkward and forced but before you know it, it will become a natural state of mind and you will train yourself and your thoughts to go to that happy place. Take each day and just find joy in the ordinary. People will feel your positive energy and will want to be around you more. I guarantee you will make new friends, see an upswing at work, and watch your life change, as well as affect others in a positive way.

Happiness is truly contagious, so go ahead--spread it.

Find your wonderland