Choose to be Happy

Happiness is a choice.
How many of us have heard that at one point or another?
Now how many of us truly believe that?

Cute quote, but we need more than flowers and the moon to be happy right? Right?

Wrong.

I had the opportunity about a year ago to serve in Corozal, Belize through Humanitarian Experience for Youth. And let me tell you something. Some of the amazing people I met had next to nothing in the view of most of us. But they were some of the happiest, most faithful, most grateful people I've ever met.

They look pretty happy, right? Would you look that happy if you had dirt floors? Or if you had to worry about whether you would have enough food for the rest of the week?

These inspiring people have made the choice to be happy.

No, life isn't perfect. Yes, we all have problems.
I am not trying to say your problems aren't big or challenging or even life-hindering at times.
  But you have the right to be happy, and no challenge or weakness or bump in the road can take that right away from you.

It's okay to not be super chipper all the time. But if you really look at your life, I'll bet you can find at least three reasons to be happy on any given day. Here are mine for today. Yours may be different, but I'm hoping that by sharing my reasons for happiness, you might find yours.

Reason for happiness #1:

I have a knowledge of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Wherefore, fear not even unto death, for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full." D&C 101:36

There is nothing in this entire world that has brought me more happiness than this gospel.

 I have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who has the power to redeem and forgive my sins, if I simply repent and turn to Him. I live in a beautiful world created by a God who, despite being omniscient and omnipotent, knows me individually and cares about my problems, no matter how small. I have living prophets and apostles who share the word of God and help me understand the kind of person God wants me to be.

Reason for happiness #2:

I am surrounded by loving, inspiring, uplifting people.

I could add twelve billion pictures, but I'll instead simply say that my family, friends, roommates, church leaders and teachers have given me unlimited reasons to be happy. They have given me strength through hard times, laughed with me during good times, and made me who I am today. When you are surrounded by good, happy people, that is who you become as well.

Reason for happiness #3:

I find joy in the little things.

From pretty flowers to fried pickles to playing in the rain to gorgeous sunsets, there are just so many little things to celebrate in this life. The song "We Seek After These Things" by Jenny Phillips says it better than I can: "Our mighty God has given us so much good to find, there's just no room for darkness in our lives."

I challenge you to find reasons every day to choose joy.
Celebrate the little things, cherish the relationships that make you better, and seek after good things that can only bring you closer to the person you want to be.

In conclusion:

Beauty Is Not Determined By Numbers

500 calories. Size 4. 30 minutes of cardio. 26 inches.

It seems like the world of beauty today is made up entirely of numbers.

But what can numbers really tell us about a person's beauty?

35 - 28.5 - 39, size 6

What do you know about the woman I just described? You can perhaps begin to guess her silhouette. But do you truly know what this woman looks like? Or, more importantly, who she is?

These are the measurements (in inches) and pants sizes for five women, all college-age.

Bust	Waist	Hips	Pants Size
37	30	37	10
32	26	34	2
36	27.5	33.5	4-6
36	27	40	2
35	28.5	39	6

Here's what we can know from this information:

1) There is a wide variety of body shapes and sizes among women

Just in these five examples, we can see that women's bodies are different. These women vary in size and proportion, with no two being exactly alike. Don't get hung up on the idea that everyone is a certain size or shape, or feel like you're out of the ordinary or abnormal because you are made the way you are. Everyone is different, and there is no optimal size or shape.

2) Different body types can wear the same pants size.

Clearly, two people with similar measurements can wear different sizes, and two people with dissimilar measurements can wear the same size. Pants sizes mean next to nothing. Don't get stuck on the number on the tag, especially because there can be a massive difference in sizes between brands! (I own pairs of pants labeled six sizes apart, because the brands' sizing are so different.)

Here's what we can't know from this information:

What these women's biggest successes are

What they like to do for fun

How they treat other people

The sound of their laughs

The places they've been

What hardships they've overcome

Their favorite food

How they get along with their family

The struggles they're currently dealing with

And countless other things about these women!

We don't truly know ANYTHING about them, meaning...

A woman's size and shape in NO WAY defines who she is as a person and one size or body type is just as beautiful as any other.

Beauty is not determined by numbers.

Beauty doesn't look like a series of measurements or pants sizes.

This is what beauty looks like:

This is Emily and she is beautiful.

She is a member of the World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes and she can literally kick her face as well as dance with power and grace in a wide variety of styles. She has great style and hair that is worthy of a Disney princess. She has the best *insert shock emoji here* face ever, and her voice gets adorably higher and higher pitched the more excited she gets about something. She has strong faith. She has a caring heart and a well-used smile, and she celebrates the little things in life.

This is Shay and she is beautiful.

She is a pre-Nursing major and can sing like an angel. She can somehow balance early morning work, tons of schoolwork, a fun social life, and an active church involvement, all with a smile on her face. She can make homemade bread ('nuff said). She is a fantastic listener, and will be there for advice, a shoulder to cry on, or to just pass you the ice cream carton and a spoon, and she will stay with you until you feel better, even if it takes all night. She loves kids and is great with them.

This is Annika and she is beautiful.

She is one of the most sunshiney-smiley people you will ever meet. She loves the outdoors and hiking and has an adventurous spirit. She also loves to dance, and all of this despite a bad ankle injury in her past. She has a melodic laugh and is really supportive of her friends. She's really into Harry Potter and is the nicest Slytherin you'll ever meet. She cries when she hears "The Last Goodbye" from Lord of the Rings and eats cupcakes like sandwiches (which is the best way to eat them, by the way).

This is Kendall and she is beautiful.

She is a Third Year Line Officer of the Texas State Strutters (biggest university dance team in the nation!) She is super crafty and can probably beat you in any Disney trivia contest. Her eyes are like a Disney princess's and she rocks lipstick like none other I've seen. She is a deep spirit, one who often reflects inward and who isn't afraid to share her stance on things. She won't give up on the things she wants or the things she believes in. She is as sweet as pie and can cheer you up anytime.

This is me and I am beautiful.

I am a Dance Education major who loves to perform, choreograph, and teach. I am super geeky (Star Trek/Wars, Harry Potter, BBC's Sherlock, Marvel, Disney) and would love to do a cosplay at a ComicCon. I think ice cream can fix quite a few problems, or at least make them better. I love to sing and have a good voice. I'm a good cook and will write best selling novels someday soon. I want to be a mother above all else and adore children. I love tall colorful heels and can walk, run, and dance in them.

You might have done the math by now, and yes, those measurements at the beginning are ours, though in a different order.

We are more than our numbers.

And so are you.