“I’ll be happy when I’m thin.
I’ll be happy when I’m in a relationship.
I’ll be happy when I get into a good college.
I’ll be happy when I get a high paying job.
I’ll be happy when I reach my goal weight.
I’ll be happy when I’m beautiful.“

The common denominator in all of these situations, is you. You can change your body, get a new job, go to a different school, but you will still be the same person on the inside. 

Changing the scenery doesn’t mean you are changing who you are or how you perceive yourself. Looking to the external world to fix an internal problem, does not work.

Sure, a skinny body, cute boyfriend or girlfriend, and new job may bring about short-lived highs and fleeting moments of excitement—but they will not bring about genuine happiness. 

The reality is that if you tend to the internal, the external will take care of itself. You can lose anything extrinsic at any moment in time. Weight fluctuates, bodies change, we get laid off, relationships turn sour. External things come and go. But the one thing you are always left with, is you.

You will always have yourself—your soul, your character, your spirit, your being. You may lose an arm or a leg, your hair may fall out, but your heart will always be intact. 

Self-acceptance starts with changing your definition of happiness. Happiness is a sense of peace and serenity that lives within you, despite what is going on outside of you. You can choose happiness at any moment. It is yours for the taking.

Choose happiness, right now, today.