Happiness is a matter of perspective.

How often do I complain about:

• how tired I am?
• how much homework I have?
• the cafeteria food?
• boys?

Embarrassingly enough the answer is: daily.

I realized how much happier and pleasant life is when I have two mantras:

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have."

And my own personal 6-word memoir: "Happiness is a matter of perspective"

So let's apply these perspectives to my common complaints: I am exhausted. Why? Because I have used up all my energy. What did the energy go towards? Going to classes, doing programs, going to meetings, helping with resident concerns and doing homework. What would you have done with the energy if you didn't use it up? Well...nothing productive I guess. Definitely not have the grades, the relationships and the benefits I do. So why are you complaining? I don't need to, I am tired because I have used myself up to my best potential. I have used every ounce of knowledge, love and concentration I have in order to better myself and the world. Exhaustion is an accomplishment.

That felt good. I am going to talk myself through the rest, so next time I complain, I can remind myself how lucky I am.

Homework. Yeah it sucks sometimes but being mad while doing it is counter-productive. I LOVE learning, growing & improving. The work I am doing in school is preparing me to do good in the world. I am part of a select population of the world who can afford to go on to higher education. People leave their lives and families across the ocean to come to America to have a chance at the opportunities I am complaining about. Education is a luxury.

Oh the RFoC. Not only does it provide with endless "FoCing" jokes but it nourishes me 14x's/week. Yes, the food is on a cycled schedule and gives you a suspicious belly ache. But get this: I can go up to the faucet and get a CLEAN glass of water, I can get 7 plates full of food and not eat it all, because "this is Amuuurica". How ungrateful am I for not realizing that some people in the world will never see this amount of food in their whole life. And look at me, not licking my plate clean, throwing away whole chicken legs if I am full. Privilege is a headache you don't know you don't have.

No denying getting your heart broken or being alone in a world of couples sucks big time. Nothing sounds better than groveling in self pity with ice cream and angry Alanis Morisette music. But being able to stand up on your own is the most powerful thing you can do. I wake up and am responsible for my own happiness. If I am lucky, I get the chance to make other people happy but not out of expectation. Out of love. I spend my days with my best friends experiencing and living life. Midnight rollerblading, coffee shop chats, 10 minute laughing fits... these people get me. Instead of relying on a single person to fulfill my needs, I have several who are all a little bit of everything I need. Some of them love poetry, some of them have morbid humor, some of them are dealing with the same things as me and some of them have seen everything I have experienced. I may not have that "void" society tells me I need to fill, but I am not a half missing it's other half. I am a whole person, by myself. Independence is irreplaceable.

Three days after Thanksgiving and I am still thankful. I think the world needs to practice Thanksgiving every day. How much happier would the world be if we just woke up and chose to be happy every day?