“Today is going to be a great day class!!!” my fourth grade teacher exclaimed. This is how she would enter our classroom each and every morning.

The class would laugh, grumble, and repeat in a “you’re forcing us to do this” low rumbly tone, “today is going to be a great day.” Yeah, okay, whatever…

How did she know it was going to be a great day? How was she so annoyingly happy each and every single day?! Ugh. We thought she was crazy. I mean, she was nice and she meant well, but what did she know about our day? How did she know it was going to be good?

But now, 17 years later (wow, it’s been that long?) I completely get her. 100%. It’s funny how time does that to you.

As I wait at the DMV irritated by the entire situation: lack of parking, astronomically long lines, uncomfortable chairs, and mostly rude staff, I get it. Almost everyone around me is angry and frustrated. People are screaming and yelling on one side and a man just got escorted out for cursing at a teller on the other. I see why they’re angry, mundane tasks like these impede on our free time and they’re definitely not fun… but more importantly, now I have such a better understanding, and increased respect, for my teacher.

What in the world is the connection between a fourth grade teacher and the DMV? They both helped me understand, and more importantly reinforce why creating a great day is necessary. Yes, CREATE! My teacher didn’t say “Today is going to be a great day” because it was already a great day, she said that to cultivate the atmosphere and make a great day. The law of attraction, the secret, whatever you want to call it, it is our choice that determines how our day turns out. It is up to us.

A great day doesn’t lie in our circumstances, it lies in our decision, our choice to be happy in spite of those circumstances. We can’t control everything, but what we can control is our reaction to whatever is going on around us.

That’s not to say that some things won’t get the best of us sometimes. I mean, we are human after all. The key lesson here is that we are in control of ourselves. In order to maintain this control, we have to CHOOSE to own our power. We have to stop giving it away.

So today I challenge you: when someone cuts you off on the way to work in the morning, when your friend cancels a lunch that you were excited about, when you get stuck in traffic on the way home, when someone says something not particularly intelligent to you or is rude – choose happiness! Choose to stay present, grateful, and to have a great day.

So thank you!!! I finally get it Mrs. Dinwiddie and I know you’re somewhere having a great day… I am too =)