I like to think too much. I can take something beautiful and wonderful, and think about all the little things that I hate about it, instead of all the big, wonderful, fantastic things that make my heart soar.

So. I’m letting go of the reins as of now. I’m not asking any more questions. I’m not overthinking. I’m letting myself be happy.

I’ve always struggled with this idea, because I somehow grew up believing that happiness was achieved when you reached a certain goal or accomplished a certain task. I don’t believe that anymore.

Let’s see how we can apply this in the real world:

In relationships: You’re allowed to be picky, but don’t nit-pick. Noone is perfect, but sometimes you get close enough, and that’s perfectly fine. If you keep thinking about how your boyfriend or girlfriend surprised you with flowers you don’t like, you may be inclined to forget that he or she actually surprised you with them.

In the household: Realize that there’s some give and take. You may have just had the longest day of work ever, but it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to yell at your brother/mom/girlfriend just because they didn’t do the dishes even though it was their turn. If you can, do them yourself or kindly remind the person. Being angry will only make everyone’s day worse.

In the work-place: Find a job you like. No, a job that you love. It should be something that doesn’t even FEEL like work, because you enjoy it that much. That’s what acting is for me. It’s hard, time-consuming, and something where I am constantly doing something different every day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve done a bunch of different jobs – sales girl, babysitter, a cast member at Chuck E. Cheese (surprisingly, it was one of my favorite jobs ever), brand ambassador, assistant publicist, etc, and having done so many things I didn’t like, I can honestly say from experience that when what you’re meant to do comes along, you just know. You should love what you do.

Maybe the biggest part of letting yourself be happy is realizing that everything does not have to be perfect.  You only have this one life. Each moment will come and go, and if you spend your whole life thinking that happiness is just a iPAD, husband or mansion away, you will look back years later and realize that you let life pass you by. Let yourself be happy.