Unlike Snow White's kiss, or Cinderella's Midnight Ball, "Happily Ever After" is not something that just HAPPENS to you. YOU have to CHOOSE it every single day. Obviously its in the big choices, like
Where do I go to college?
What will I do with my life?
Will I choose to sleep with my boyfriend or will I choose to wait for marriage?
Will I choose to smoke/drink/do drugs?
Will I choose to love myself for who I am?
But its also in the little choices that you make every single day. The ones that don't seem like that big of a deal all alone, but add up to make you the person that you are.
What do I do with my time?
Do I speak kindly to others?
Do I have a good attitude?
Do I turn in my homework and try for good grades?
Do I make an effort to get up on time?
Do I lie, even on the little things?
Do I respect my parents?
Do I obey the rules?
Do I try to look nice and take care with my appearance?
Who am I dressing for, myself or others?
Am I the kind of person that makes others feel good about themselves?
Do I set goals and work hard to achieve them?
Do I eat healthy?
Am I a good friend?
Do I gossip?
Etc.
As you grow, your situation and your choices will change, but the message is the same. Each day, you have decisions to make- some you will think about and others you might not even realize are choices. But it all adds up to determine your level of happiness. You can't choose the bad things and not have them affect your life now AND in the future. We all know girls that seemed to have the perfect life and ended up pregnant, right? Girls, pregnancy is not something that just happens to you. It is the result of a choice. And the effects of that choice are life changing, not just for the girl, but for her family and ultimately for her child. However, even small bad choices can have life changing effects, like a small lie that gets bigger and bigger and eventually smothers you. One of my favorite authors said
"The sordid things in life
leave you with nothing but
tarnished memories"
(Emilie Loring)
Make the good choices girls, decide what "Happily Ever After" means for YOU. Maybe that's the perfect job, a college degree, or a home and family. Whatever your happily ever after is- CHOOSE IT NOW. And keep making the choices that will get you there every day.
Keep in mind that it doesn't happen all at once- not like in the stories- but gradually as you choose to live a good life you will come to realize that your life IS your Happily Ever After.
