A friend once told me happiness is a state of mind when I complained about being sad. Thinking about it now, I think I’d agree with that. Life itself comes with so many ups and downs. The best you can do for yourself is to be happy.

A few years back, my parents had to literally beg me to leave my room because I could be indoors for days and even weeks without stepping outside. My dad would always ask what exactly I’m doing in my room but truly, all I was doing was watching movies and sleeping. I just went out sometimes to get them to stop talking. During this time, what I didn’t know was that I was gradually falling into the pits of depression. Sometimes, I would even fall and get buried in them before I come to a realization about what was happening. But then, I eventually learnt to find my way around it.

You’d hardly find me looking sad on a normal day. Even when I’m sad, I’d manage to paste a huge smile on my face because nothing is really going to change whether I act sad or not. But then, I wasn’t like this from the start. I used to worry about literally every little thing in my life. Petty stuff gave me sleepless nights and I could literally cry I’ve nothing. Sometimes I wonder whether if all of that was necessary but I’m a cry baby and so it makes sense. With time, I came to learn to leave things to be. Just as they are because sometimes you just need to sit back and let things play down naturally. Worrying excessively wasn’t really going to change anything.

Since then, I made a promise to myself to prioritize my mental health and happiness because no one was going to do that for me. Funny enough, when you take a closer look at your life, you’d realize that people tend to treat you how they see you treating yourself. I treat myself like the queen that I am and so there’s no way I’d accept the bare minimum from someone else. I love being around people because it helps me keep my spirits high and also gives me a chance to bond with family and friends. The only people you’d see me act so carefree around are my family and very close friends because they would never judge you since they have grown to accept you for who you are.

To be frank, I don’t even remember the last time I felt sad. When i feel extremely sad, I immediately speak to those close to me because a problem shared is half solved. Plus, I’m only allowed to be sad for a second and we we are back to being happy. Happiness is free and everyone deserves a shot at being happy. No matter what we are facing in life, we must and should always make sure to be happy because you only get to live once. So, make good use of it!

all images belong to me.