I remember receiving a disheartening and anonymous email from someone who told me to “stop putting on a fake persona on social media because it’s sickening…it’s impossible for someone to be as happy as you pretend to be all the time. I mean, you own a used car lot. How happy and successful can you possibly be?” I decided to share this NOT to call him/her out, rather I’m sharing this to say that it’s a choice to choose the better route, to rise above the pain and find the silver lining around the dark clouds that some folks dwell in.

Besides, research shows that unhappy people:

1) Have a higher heart rate and may be at higher risk for heart attacks.

2) Are 65% more likely to get a cold.

3) Have a greater risk of heart disease, strokes, hypertension, infections, and Type 2 diabetes.

4) Release more of the stress hormone cortisol, therefore being more stressed.

5) Are less likely to find a spouse.

6) Live nine years fewer than their happy counterparts.

So…when you are happy, you are likely to live longer. You are more emotionally healthy, physically healthy, creative, energetic, compassionate, and successful!

So if you have difficulty being happy and have more of a tendency to be a Debbie Downer, my simple advice is to “fake it ’till you make it.” Your life and health depends on it.

And for the record, NO ONE is happy all the time. Even Jesus wasn’t always happy, and he wasn’t always sad, but he was always kind.