The other day I was watching a little tv before bed. My wife Allison sat down next to me and said, “I want you watch this video”. The video was a YouTube clip from “Amercia’s Got Talent”, and it featured a girl named Jane (She goes by Nightbirde if you want to search it on YouTube).

The night she appeared on the show, she was continuing a battle with cancer, and was still not out of the woods. However, she appeared on the show and had an amazing performance. So much so that she received a Golden Buzzer (I’m still not entirely sure what it means, but it must be a big deal!)

Anyhoo, as she stood on stage after her song, she made a comment that really resonated with me. “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore to decide to be happy”. I love that!

Even when things are going well, life can still be a challenge at times. Every once in a while I stop and think just how odd it is to be human. It’s a wild ride for sure and there is always something we are working to improve. It’s hard. However, hard doesn’t have to mean terrible.

Wouldn’t you agree?

The point is, if we put happiness on the back burner until life isn’t hard anymore or until life shapes to our desires, we are really only setting ourselves up for disappointment.

I believe that HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE. It is not something we own or something we create. It is something we are. We can choose happiness even when we struggle. We can choose happiness when we face challenges. We can choose happiness, even when the deck seems completely stacked against us.  

Perhaps that’s easier said than done sometimes, but as I watched Nightbirde up on stage, I felt a sense that if she can do it, I can too.

I believe that the reason that people learn so much when they face the reality of their own death is that they begin to see through the veil of mistruths we are so good at telling ourselves. Nightbirde is staring death in the face at a young age, and rather than folding up shop and giving up, she instead made a conscious choice to bring positivity and joy to the world as best she can.

She’s an inspiration, wouldn’t you agree?

What challenge are you facing today? Is there a way to change perspective or find the joy in the struggle? What might you gain as you persevere through this challenge? What growth opportunities right in front of you?

In the words of Nightbirde “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore to decide to be happy”. So, together, let’s find time today to enjoy our one and only ride on this crazy planet!