A Letter To The Unhappy | Never Settle For Anything Less

Never settle for anything less than happiness.

I said those words to a work colleague the other week who said they were just settling with life as it was, with their job, their relationship, with everything, and they, and a few other colleagues were surprised by my words, and yet for the life of me, I can't understand why. Why is it so abnormal to believe we're not entitled to be happy, and not to feel alienated for it too?

There are many things that people claim makes the world go round. Some say money, others say it's people. Some put a weight on love, and some claim it's doing what you love, but me, I say it's happiness. If every single person in the world was happy just for a minute, if they were filled with unrelenting, beautiful, blissful happiness, all at the same time, imagine how that would feel. I imagine it would feel pretty awesome, and if I could bottle up any feeling, it would be happiness.

Thankfully, I don't have to bottle up happiness, because for the first time in my life, I'm genuinely happy. I have a job I enjoyed, and get to work with people that make the job that little bit better. I have a family that, sure, it's a little dysfunctional, but those that matter in it surround me, ground me, offer me support, love and guidance. I have friends, online and in day-to-day life that humour me, amaze me, laugh with me and are proud of me. I have achieved, and still achieve, so much every single day.

I spent years settling for less, but now, it's happiness or nothing.

It' a brave stance to take in life, to be happy or to give up, pack up and move onto something more. Job markets are rife with employees, employers picking people off one by one. Housing markets are tougher, and more expensive than ever, rallying off those with deep pockets against those who want stability and a home. Everything is a little more dangerous to live without, and everything is so much harder to gain, but if you're happy, life is just that little bit more bearable.

As a child I never wanted for anything. My Mum would bend over backwards to get me exactly what I wanted at Christmas, getting herself into debts she's still paying off now, for the sake of my happiness. She made sure I never settled for less than happiness, and although I never got the biggest and best presents in my class, I got what I wanted. I had a Mum who loved me, who cherished me, and would give me the world if she harness the power, all for the sake of her little girls happiness. So why shouldn't I still want the world, just because I have to catch it myself this time?

If you want something, you have to go and get it. Happiness is the same, it's funny that way.

If you wake up every morning, like my work colleague, settling for less, then you'll never truly be happy. It's taken me years, a lot of mistakes, trial and error and plenty of therapy to realise that happiness doesn't come from behind and sweep you off your feet, it's never that easy. You have to get off your backside every single day and go get it, grab it with both hands and ride the rollercoaster it sends you on. You have to go and get it yourself.

Today, I turn 21, and I'm proud to say I'm happy. I still fight my demons every single day, and I battle through the bad days that really knock me down, but I'm still standing, and I'm happy, and I refuse to settle for less. I surround myself with people that make me happy, spending time on hobbies, activities and memories that make me happy, and it's so worth the extra time and effort spent getting it.

There's a famous phrase that says anything worth having is worth fighting for.

I challenge you to fight for your own happiness. I challenge you to change what fails to make you happy. I challenge you to make 2016 your happiest year yet.

I challenge you to never settle for less than happiness, ever again.