Start with a grateful heart

Today I learned that happiness is a conscious decision. You can't expect it to just land on your lap in order for you to declare "Oh, today is a happy day." You really have to choose to find the joy in each day. The easiest way to do it, as I learned today, is to start with a grateful heart.

There was so much negativity today that I could've dwelled upon, and I would've gone through the day feeling down. Instead, I chose to look on the bright side and be thankful for so many things.

Traffic was horrendous, but we made it on time. Stuck on my side of the valley for almost an hour could've been a stressful endeavor, but I chose to chat with my sister instead throughout the ride. Plus, I prayed that it wouldn't be traffic in C5 and Ortigas, and my prayers were granted! So not only did I get to enjoy my sister's company, I also started the day believing that God will make a way when there seems to be no way.

Karma has a way of coming around quickly. Let's just say that I now believe that whatever you put out there comes back at you tenfold. So if you put out a lot of negative energy and hurt other people, all that negativity will come right back at you and you cannot expect to be blessed. On the other hand, if you shower the world with love, light, and positivity, you can trust to be rewarded with good things as well. Sure, bad things happen to good people, but that's just to maintain life's balance, I suppose. Be positive to be blessed.

One rotten apple doesn't ruin the entire basket. Life isn't perfect. You can't expect a basket to be filled entirely of sweet, tasty apples. There's always bound to be at least one rotten apple, and it would just be your equally rotten luck to encounter it. But if and when you do, don't throw out the entire basket. Because then you miss out on enjoying all of the other good apples. So instead of fixating on the rotten apple, I have chosen to be thankful for all the other good apples in my basket (even if the rotten apple's stink is hard to ignore).

This positive outlook can be difficult to keep throughout the week, but it's also exciting to face each day thinking, "I wonder what good things will come my way today." And when you find that joy in the littlest things, like seeing this on Facebook:

Photo by Jay Dimayuga, item spotted at Robinsons Pioneer

You know your day will turn out all right. :)