It's a pretty controversial statement, I guess, but I do wholeheartedly believe that our happiness does not depend on our circumstances, but instead on our attitude towards these circumstances. There will always be obstacles in our path to self-improvement, and I just find it pointless to mope over them every time we hit one. Complaining and over-worrying about our problems aren't really doing anything to solve them. These just inspire negativity in ourselves and in the people who surround us whilst wasting precious seconds that could've been used elsewhere. Negativity is contagious, but so is positivity, and we all know which one is better off gone. A common misconception towards optimism is that it is the act of completely ignoring the negative things and events in our lives and just nitpicking the good ones, leading to a lack of growth and self-improvement. Contrary to popular opinion, I do believe that optimism is key in working towards self-improvement. Rather than being ignorant, to me, it's more of being self-aware of both the good and the bad, but instead of complaining or moping over the bad, an optimist would choose to see the good in it. I personally love losing and bumping into obstacles because these circumstances, albeit negative, keep me pumped and motivated. There's just so much more to learn from losing than winning. A story with no conflict is too boring, I'd say. We should always remind ourselves that we're accountable for whatever's happening in our lives. Instead of blaming others for the troubles we experience, taking action is a lot more productive and time-efficient. In relation to the slogan, I think we shouldn't strive for happiness. Too many people treat happiness as their end goal when in reality, it should be a state of mind; a way of living. It's a choice we should make every day in spite of whatever's coming. Rather than being the end goal, it's the key to be able to achieve one's life goals. If you treat it as your end goal, you'll keep failing because life will never run out of problems. If society only conditioned this way of thinking in us, there would be a significant drop in mental health issues. Now, I don't mean to invalidate human emotions such as sadness or anger. These emotions are normal and valid, and it's okay to feel them even if they're considered negative. I just don't believe that we should let our lives be tragically affected by mere emotions. It's okay to cry; to take time off for yourself; to do whatever relieves you from your negative emotions, but one should make sure they stand back up and not let their own emotions define their success. Optimism isn't the act of pretending to be happy, but rather choosing to be happy despite the difficulties that life presents. To me, it's just being grateful I get to be a human being and I get to live with all these blessings and all these problems too -- which in my perspective are blessings-in-disguise. Optimism is an important ingredient in self-improvement because being able to see obstacles as opportunities for growth will really help a person reach their full potential. As someone in their teenage years, I've yet to master the art of optimism, but I'm getting there. Admittedly, it's difficult not to let emotions affect me deeply especially with the hardships that come with life, but I'm determined to work towards a better attitude and better work ethic. In order to improve and grow as a person, I like to live by the statement, "Don't let your emotions dictate your actions," which is kind of related to my slogan. Knowing what makes me happy is also a game changer. Whenever I'm down in the dumps, I can quickly rise up just by reminding myself of these things. I think happiness is directly related to one's success as it can translate to bigger goals, constant inspiration, and better results. Successful people have developed thick enough skins to be immune to negativity. For me to achieve self-improvement, I believe that the first and most important step is choosing to be happy and learning to be optimistic despite life's adversities.