This morning I was dragging a little bit, hesitant to get out of bed with my 4:30 alarm. I did, as evidenced by my putting content in this blog post, but it was a struggle. I picked today to drive to my favorite forest because there was no rain forecasted, but it rained the whole drive up and the whole (hour long) drive back. I have been really inspired lately with no shortage of ideas for photo shoots, but my body was lagging behind the enthusiasm of my creativity. And, if I’m honest, even that was a little bit lacking today. I saw so many amazing sights on my drive, like fog rolling in down a long and empty road, elk grazing on the side of the highway, and mud puddles that, on any other day, I probably would have jumped in.

As I drove home I realized there was construction on the back way that I decided to take, which I only took because I wanted to inspire myself and lift my attitude a bit. So, my little car bumped and scraped along for miles and miles until it finally cleared. I stopped at my favorite cafe for my favorite hot chocolate, and as I watched the footage back from my shoot with the rain pattering overhead, I finally found it. I found my happiness. It wasn’t shining as brightly, but we all have days like that. They probably exist to make the days that aren’t like that even better.

I filmed this one on my phone so you could see the camera process!

As I started editing this picture I put my favorite calming music on and got lost in the details, and felt really peaceful. While this morning I felt a bit doomed to have an off day, later this morning has brought me a lot of joy. I can still taste the hot chocolate that I had and the rain is dripping outside my window, and it all seems to be glowing beauty.

How perfect for this image that I made today. I shot three different pictures this morning, but this one called to me the most. Now I see why. We all have choices to make; to choose happiness or not. We can choose inspiration, passion, and good spirits or we can choose to be negative. And honestly, I’m not remotely saying that I make the more positive choice everyday. But I do try my best, and I recognize the power of our choices.

Over the years I’ve lost time and energy for people who constantly take the negative path. The people who make excuse after excuse as to why their life has never been and will never be fair. What is fair, anyway? None of us control outside influences that would knock us off our feet. None of us chooses the unforeseeable slams that life throws down. But we all choose how we react to them. I believe what is even more important than how we react to those random, big life events (after all, we’ve had no practice with each of those individual demons), is how we react each day, and the choices we make in the little moments.

I may not have felt good this morning, mentally or physically, but I didn’t have to choose anger. I didn’t have to choose cynicism. It might have taken a couple of hours, but I’ve chosen acceptance and gratitude and joy. That is my goal every single day.

Remember that your choices matter. Every little choice leads to the culmination of your life’s happiness. And I believe that your life won’t be summed up by that one big moment that tore your world apart, but by how you reacted to that moment, and all the moments to come. How you chose to separate yourself from your anger, or not. How we choose happiness, or we don’t.

Here’s to not waiting for tomorrow to take away some sorrows, but to making a choice right now that gets us there faster. As for me, I’ve got a few more hours of work and then I’m going to make a big mug of my favorite tea, read a good book, bake some apple crisp, and get to my yoga mat.