I once knew a guy who had a very unique perspective on life. 

One day he asked me, “What makes you happy?” 

That seems like a simple enough question but oddly, my first response was to say, “I don’t know.”

He immediately launched in with a small ranting saying, “What do you mean you don’t know? It’s you! You should know you, and you should know what makes you happy! It’s your life!”

Although this guy was a little crazy and probably a little drunk for all I know, he is not wrong.

I’ve been reminded of this moment recently as I’ve started to make changes in my life to be happier.

It seems like I’m not the only unhappy person in the world and while yes, toxic people, depressing life events and all of that plays a role in a person’s happiness, a good portion of it is made up of their own decisions.

I’ve started trying to limit myself to only doing things that make me happy or at least things that I can find aspects of that make me happy.

We all have things we don’t want to do that we have to, but some things that make us miserable do not fall into that category.

Just because you find happiness in the idea of something it doesn’t mean that the actual thing is making you happy.

Maybe you like the idea of a being a member of a board game club, but you realize though you like board games, you dread showing up.

It could be because of social issues in the group or otherwise, but it doesn’t matter how much you conceptually enjoy something. If in practice it makes you unhappy, then it’s probably time to walk away.

Walking away from and avoiding people who contribute to your unhappiness is also something that you may need to look at. It might be hard, but trust me; I’ve learned from experience that it is well worth it.

Figuring out what exactly makes you happy, even before attaining or participating in it is crucial for your path to happiness.

Once you’ve identified what makes you happy, it’s just a matter of making the conscious decision every day to focus on those things.

Periodically throughout your day just pause and meditate on the positive and what you’ve found in your day that you enjoy and appreciate.

Life is both too short and too long to spend it being unhappy.

Your happiness should be a priority. Once you start making it one, everything else in your life will fall into place.

Kaycie Brauer is a senior English major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at denopinions@gmail.com.