Are you a happy person? Don’t just answer off the cuff. Pause for a couple of seconds and really think about your answer. Do you wake up most mornings excited to face the day and happy to be alive? Do you let the little things bother you or do they pass you by? How often do you smile?

To many of us spend our lives so caught up in the negative and the petty that we let it cloud our view. Even worse, most of us don’t realize we’re not happy until a sudden moment in time when it all comes crashing down. A few years ago, that was me.

I had a great job. I had been promoted quickly and moved up the ladder like I was supposed to. Then, I was on my first vacation in seven years, and I realized, “Holy sh**! I’m miserable.” I had what, to everyone else, was a good job and a good life, but I wasn’t happy. It was then and there I made a conscious decision to do whatever it took to become a happier and better person each and every day.

It’s not always easy. In fact, there are days when being happy feels impossible, but I never stop trying. I refuse to wake up in another seven years and realize that I’ve been letting life pass me by in a cloud of sadness and misery.

Happiness is something you have to decide for yourself every single day, and you always have to reevaluate. If you’re ready for a happier life, here are some things that worked for me.

1. Let go of trying to control everything. Things happen. Learn to roll with the punches.
2. Do something nice for someone else every single day. Don’t do it with the expectation of credit. Do it because you want to.
3. Listen to people when they talk to you. Take the time to hear what they’re saying before you respond.
4. Don’t waste time reading or listening to negative things. That includes gossip.
5. Drink our Happy Tea. Start every morning with a calming cup of Happy Tea to ease your anxiety and boost your mood.
6. Don’t try and please everyone. It’s not your job to make anyone else happy.
7. Let go of your guilt. It isn’t easy or simple, but try to forgive yourself when you make mistakes and move forward.
8. Spend quality time with your loved ones every single day. Even if you only have time to call your best friend for 15 minutes.
9. Accept things as they are and strive to be content with what you have.
10. Smile and laugh as much as you possibly can.
11. Spend less time working and more time doing things that speak to your heart, mind, and soul.
12. Stop worrying about what other people think about you. Instead, just be you, unashamedly.
13. Eat healthy food. It’s a lot easier to feel happy and joyful when you’re filling your body with healthy food that helps it perform its best.
14. Never think that it’s “too late.” There’s always another chance and another opportunity.
15. Stop thinking you’re too old or too young for something. You can do anything you put your mind to.
16. Let go of the negative people in your life. Someone may have been your friend for years, but if they bring you down, let them go.
17. Stop fearing failure. Failure does not mean that you’re broken, or you can’t do something. It means you have the opportunity to pick yourself up and try again.
18. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are who you were meant to be. Embrace your special qualities and stop comparing yourself to others.
19. Do what you love. Don’t stay in a job you hate or ignore your passions. If you love playing soccer, writing poems, or dancing, find out how you can make it happen.
20. Make a gratitude list every morning or evening. List out all the reasons you have to be thankful in your life.
21. Exercise every single day. Exercise relieves stress and releases endorphins so you end up happier and more satisfied.