Don't Worry, Be Happy

To put it plainly, 2016 was a draining year for me. The stress of trying to figure out my postgraduate future, dissatisfaction with unfulfilling relationships, and tiredness were constant stressors throughout. I was beginning to feel self-doubt and negativity creep into my daily routine. Through life’s distractions, I wasn’t practicing one key thing: doing more of what makes me happy.

The older I get, the more I realize that sometimes in the pursuit of my own professional and academic goals I put my hobbies and passions on the backburner. “Do more of what makes you happy” may sound like a cliché, but when I feel unmotivated by my daily routine, I realize I’m also putting my own happiness on pause. I believe that happiness is not always guaranteed, but something that we must constantly work towards as agents of our own. No one’s life will ever be an instant utopia, but taking the initiative to make positive actions a priority is important to personal well-being.

My personal philosophy is creating positive action by finding the small moments of happiness in life.

To combat a draining year, I decided to add more of my hobbies and passions into my daily routine. Overtime, reading and painting were activities that I had set aside. As the daughter of a teacher, reading daily was something that I had grown up doing, and art classes were something I explored a lot in high school. Unfortunately, there came a time when I couldn’t remember the last time I leisurely read a book that wasn’t connected to my studies or picked up a paintbrush. As simple as it sounds, I’ve been taking more time to read and paint every week. Immediately, I felt more relaxed and content when I took time to indulge myself in former pastimes.

As a year of uncertainty, 2016 taught me the importance of happy and healthy relationships. I realized that I’m at my happiest when I’m on good terms with the people in my life. Unfortunately, as I get older, I realize that some people only stay in your life briefly, while others are there long term. Surrounding myself with people who are positive and passionate brings me the most happiness and so I should maintain those relationships. Taking the time to contact old friends (and distance myself from fair-weather ones), allowed me to gain happiness through sustaining a sense of connectedness and joy with the people in my life.

Each small action has the potential for a positive reaction. Although my life is not all “sunshine and daisies,” doing more of what makes me happy on a small scale helps me keep perspective and positivity.

So, I challenge you. Are you doing more of what makes you happy?

By Nicole Arai | Photography by Anna Maria Li