I'm a firm believer that we're all responsible for our own happiness. Just like you can't blame it on someone else if you're unable to lose weight, you can't blame your unhappiness on anyone, or anything else. You decide. You may be sitting there right now, on your couch, and thinking that it isn't really your choice, because you live with your parents and you're not able to cut all negative influences out of your life, because you see them at school every single day. But believe me, happiness is still your choice. I know, because I'm in the exact same position.

I live at home with my family, and I can't control that. I can't control where we live, and if I did, I wouldn't choose this place. I cant 'surround myself with people who make me happy' because I go to school, and I'm therefore not in control of who I spend my time with.

But still, I choose to be happy. And that's the only determining factor of your happiness. As Dumbledore says; "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities". As long as you choose to be happy and love yourself, that's all that matters.

Self love, is in my opinion, a very big part of being happy. If you don't love your body and who you are, change it. That's the one thing that I can guarantee you that you have absolute control over. And although changing who you are, losing weight and reinventing yourself is good and sometimes necessary, you also need to be able to love yourself on your off days. You should feel just as happy being who you are on the days your hair is greasy, you can't bring yourself to get dressed and you've got your glasses on as you do when you're all dressed up. I know how impossible this can feel, and I agree, but there'll never be a project you can work on that's more important than loving yourself. 

That's another thing I need to get off my chest: Prioritising yourself is not selfish. Sure, if it's a question of whether you should stay in bed and watch netflix when your friend needs your help, then yes, that is a bit selfish. But that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about doing something you don't want to do because it might make someone else happy. Going to a party you don't want to go to because you feel like you have to. You don't have to do anything. You don't have to go out on a Saturday night even though you've been invited. You don't have to say yes to hanging out with your friends if you don't feel up to it. You can say no. You don't owe anyone an explanation, you don't need to make up excuses. 

That leads into something else I think is very important, and that is making other people happy. Spreading happiness and positivity is a great thing, and it makes you and the receiver so happy. But you don't have to do it. If talking to that person you're making so happy is making you miserable, then stop talking to them. Please though, do things for other people too, as it might really brighten your day.

I don't know what else to say about happiness. There is so much I could say, so many words of advice and comfort I could offer, but I'll save that for another time. I would like to point out though, that this post isn't directed to sufferers of depression, as that is a very serious mental illness which cannot be healed by happy thoughts.

I hope this post makes you think. Maybe it doesn't change your outlook on life, I don't really expect it to, but I hope it stirs some though processes. And if you're unhappy, I hope you manage to cheer yourself up. I'm always here for any one of you.