Every day is molded by choices.  Choose to push snooze one too many times.  Choose to smile at the girl in the hall who you can never quite remember her name.  Choose to yell at your parents for cramping your style while rolling up to practice in a minivan.  These choices pile up until you close your eyes at night, then you wake up and it’s a new chance at the same choices.  So— theoretically speaking, what if for an entire day, you chose to be happy? You chose to smile and laugh at the joke, no matter who told it.  You chose to rock the minivan by blaring The Weeknd with the windows down.  Every day has the same opportunity to be the best day.  It is just in how you decide to conquer it.  Here is a step by step, chronological guide to how to have the best day yet—  every day:

Step 1: Wake up when the alarm goes off.

No good day starts off with a rushed and stressful waking.  Just get up and you won’t be as tired once you are on your feet.  With this extra time, indulge in some marshmallow mateys, or whip up some chocolate chip waffles.  Breakfast makes the days a little brighter.

Step 2: Pump in your favorite song on the ride to school

Whether by car, bus, foot, or plane, as you are being transported to school (or I guess wherever else you spend your days) play a song that makes you want to dance.  Countless mornings, my little sister and I crack the windows and jam to Hannah Montana’s “He Could Be The One” (you’ve never heard of happiness if you’ve never heard of this song). Who can be dreading calculus as they nail every note in the bridge?

Step 3: Make small talk with the teacher on parking lot duty and hold the door for whoever is walking in behind you.

I promise you now, the teacher standing outside welcoming the students to the new day is just as cold, tired, and impressed with the burn outs from the back row as you are. Telling them “good morning,” or maybe just a smile could add to the overall goal for the best day yet.  As you walk to the door, why not hold it for the middle schooler who has to sprint down the ramp to meet his friends in the cafeteria? Once again, this small gesture could not only help him out, but make you feel like a first-rate member of society.

Step 4: Keep in mind that people are people and reserve every right to be

This one is from experience, friends. In the everyday horror of passing periods, lunch rooms, and ‘individual work time,’ you are going to be surrounded by people you either claim a friend, foe, or Joe Shmoe. Understanding that these people only have the power to affect your attitude if you let them is key in maintaining a great day.  But, beyond that, do not let the actions or words of the people around you irritate you because their life is different than yours, or it could just be that they are a different person than you.  You MUST be open-minded and open-hearted in order to stay positive.

Step 5: GO OUTSIDE (Conditional).

Being stuck inside for 8 hours is obviously going to wear down on one’s soul. Getting outside for some fresh air would be a great way to reset yourself. This being said, please, if it is hailing baseballs, snowing sideways, or if Zeus is throwing a temper tantrum, I advise you to stay indoors and color or read a book.

Step 6: Eat ice cream and talk about stars.

To wrap up the day (if you’ve made it this far), it is vital to indulge in ice cream (unless you are lactose intolerant). Ice cream is a cure-all and a wonderful part of life that we must appreciate often.  While you have your ice cream, start a meaningful conversation. Talk to someone about your passions or their passions or flavors of soda or stars or the presidential election. Deep conversations gets you thinking, and they are alway so much fun.  
Nothing special needs to happen in order to have the best day.  What could have been an average day you wouldn’t remember by next Monday, could leave you full of sun beams, just by choosing happy every minute of every hour of every day.  This day is the best day yet, but tomorrow will be even better.