How to Survive Your First Year of Law School: Staying Happy

So I had a little bit of time to reflect on my life this morning and I realized something beautiful: When I don't like things in my life, I just get rid of them. For example, I don't like it when my closet is full of clothes I never wear. So what do I do? I get rid of them. I also don't like it when my purse/backpack is full of paper and garbage that I don't need anymore. So what do I do? I get rid of it...

What makes this important in my life is that I tend to do this with my emotional problems as well. If something is causing me angst, I tend to rid myself of whatever that thing is. If it's a job or a person, I carefully remove myself from that job or that person...if it's a negative thought or a bad habit, I simply put those things out of my mind and instead fill myself up with happy thoughts and new goals.

Over and over again I've done this...when I was done with my undergrad I realized that my life in Provo did not bring the same happiness and joy that it had brought for the previous four years, so I picked up and found something else to do.

I've had several jobs that I couldn't stand...and let me tell you it did not take long for me to quit working at those places...

I think the most important thing that I've been able to learn is how to surround myself with healthy people. I look at all my friends and my family members and all of them are people that I would be proud to be. They are moral, strong, ambitious individuals that are a great support system for me. I have come across some unhealthy people in my life, but they usually don't last long because I realize that they are not the type of people I want to know.

Some might think that it's unhealthy that I get rid of my problems as opposed to facing them head on, but honestly, I think that is how I do face them head on. I look those issues in the eye and say, "I don't want this." And then I move forward with my life.

Here is a list of things that make me happy when I don't feel so great:

FRIENDS AND FAMILY (They are one in the same to me.)
Ice cream
Laughter
Good music
Sunshine
Baby animals (disgusting I know; I'm ashamed to admit this is true)
Watching other people fall (just little falls, folks...come on, you know it's funny.)
Running/Exercise
Being outdoors
Reading
Dancing by myself
Singing in my car
Playing the piano

Feel free to add to the list. :)