5 things i believe in

Be-lieve (verb): to accept or regard something as true, to accept the truth of what is said by someone, to have a specified opinion.

There are definitely things I believe in that some may not, and they're are definitely some things I don't believe in that I know some others do.
It's something that makes an individual, well, an individual.
So here are five things I believe in:
One. I believe happiness is a choice. There has been research done and apparently there is "scientific proof" that only 40% of our happiness is within our control. The other 60 is said to be partially determined by genetics and upbringing. I don't buy it. In my mind, I believe that maybe 10% of happiness is genetics and 90% is up to us. I say 10% simple because I do think that a child having negative and unhappy parents will be hindered to be truly happy later in life. But they still have choices. "The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his or her life by altering his or her attitude," is a quote by psychologist William James. Simple as that.
Two. I believe in a heaven above and guardian angels. This was my upbringing, and it never went away. Losing three of my four grandparents before I was even in college led to this. Losing my aunt during my freshman year at UNI led to this. With losing people so close to me, I've gained a pretty great crowd of guardian angels. There is one instance in particular where I know they were looking down on me. Here's the story. It was graduation weekend at UNI and at the time I was interning in Cleveland, OH so I was catching my flight back to Iowa. I was in Chicago waiting for the second leg of my flight to take me to Cedar Rapids at 9pm when my flight got delayed. And delayed. And delayed. And canceled. It went through my mind that I was going to miss graduation. My family was all coming to town. And I'd be stuck (I now realize I was overreacting a bit). So I went to the counter to reschedule my flight - 7am the next day. I took it. I called Jason and told him that he may have to drive to Chicago and get me. Without hesitation, he was on his way. I then ran (literally) to another airline's counter and told them I wanted to fly to CR that night. I got put on a waiting list... 6th in line... for a 9:45 flight out of Chicago to CR. I waited and waited. I heard my name. I GOT ON THE FLIGHT. I was beaming. I quickly texted my dad, mom and Jason telling them to NOT drive to Chicago, I was coming home! When I sat down in my small plane seat, I teared up. I knew it was my grandparents and aunt's way of celebrating my graduation. It was an emotional flight.
Three. 

I believe in paying it forward. I think if a person has ever paid it forward, they would believe in the same thing. We hear stories upon stories upon stories during the holiday season about those generous people who go into Wal-Mart and anonymously pay $1,000 on someone else's layaway account. Although that is paying it forward, that's an extreme case (and bless those souls for having extra cash to share). Paying it forward can be so simple. It can cost nothing. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Help a wheelchair bound individual get something off the top shelf at Target. Donate blood (I don't do this because I'm afraid of needles, otherwise I would). Volunteer to help others, even if it's your family or friends. Put the folded shirts back on the rack somewhat nicely when you're at the store. Listen to someone who needs it. It's so simple, and paying it forward helps to radiate happiness. And smiles. And who doesn't love smiling?

Four. I believe laughter is the best medicine. And the best ab workout. Although it's about the only exercise I do, it never gets old. I could do that workout for 10 hours a day. But in all reality, laughing is healthy, contagious and fun. If you've ever been around Jason and I, you probably know that we laugh quite a bit. If you've been around my family, you know we laugh a lot (my dad is hilarious). Whether I'm laughing about a teriyaki dish tasting really terrible or the fact that Jason and I play childish video games and I'm cracking up the whole time, it's just happiness. Even if a person forces themselves to laugh, it usually turns out to be real. Because forcing yourself is just FUNNY.
Five. I believe that being happy with ones self should come first. If someone isn't happy with themselves, how can others be happy for and with them? It's just like the fact that someone should love themselves first so others can love them. If you don't love yourself and are not happy with yourself, you're probably not being you. Which means others aren't seeing the real you. Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be something else for a really, really long time? I'm assuming it's really hard. I always heard that sleeping more can make a person happier. This is actually real. I sleep 10-12 hours per night. And I'd say I'm a pretty happy camper. Exercise makes people happier, too. But it just makes me sore, sweaty and lazy the rest of the day. And in the summer, GO OUTSIDE. It seriously makes people happier. Nothing better than that fresh air.