Story by ANDREA LOPEZ, for The Muleskinner—

If you need some advice to help you “seize the day,” keep reading. These five tips focus on asserting yourself, interacting with others and controlling your own happiness, served with a sprinkling of helpful mantras.

1.)  Establish a motive. Waking up in the morning with a positive attitude and ready for what the day may throw at you, whether good or bad, keeps you moving forward.

Do not let other people have control over how your day is going to go. Tell yourself that you are going to have a fantastic day and name the reasons how you will achieve that.

2.)  Challenge yourself. You only have one life to live; you can either enjoy it or let it pass by, the choice is yours.

Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Whether it be climbing to the top of the rock wall or joining that one club on campus, just go out and do it because you have nothing to lose.

Grab a friend and enjoy a new experience together. More importantly, try becoming a person you would respect if you were someone else.

3.)  Do one thing every day that makes you smile. Whether it be blasting your favorite song or watching a funny video clip, do something that will make you smile in an instant.

When you are in a happy mood others are bound to feed off your good energy. When you find yourself in an unpleasant state of mind, think of something or someone who makes you happy and let that smile of yours shine.

4.)  Stop comparing yourself to others. Easier said than done, but at the end of the day there is only one of you, so take advantage of that. You have your own ambitions, ideas and qualities, so flaunt them.

If you really want to compare yourself to something, reflect on how you were yesterday compared to today, and be considerate. As Aibileen from The Help puts it, You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

5.)  Spread the joy.  Be considerate by simply asking someone how their day is going or holding the door open for another.

Being thoughtful toward others may not only make others appreciate your kindness, but it can leave you with a compatible feeling.  Just think of it this way: you could be making the world a happier place, just one person at a time.

In the words of Helen Keller,“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.”