A few weeks ago, I was convinced my glow came from Korean skincare. To be fair, those little bottles are still performing minor miracles. My bathroom shelf currently looks like a chemistry lab run by very optimistic people, and I’m not about to stop using any of it.
But lately I’ve been wondering…
What if the glow isn’t coming from the skincare?
What if it’s coming from me?
I know. Horrible thought. Because if it’s the skincare, I can simply keep buying jars. If it’s me, that sounds suspiciously like personal responsibility.
The thing is, I’ve noticed something.
Every morning when I wake up, before checking my phone, before reading the news, before discovering what fresh chaos the world has prepared for us, I make a decision.
I’m happy I woke up. And I’m going to stay in a good mood.
Not because everything is good. Not because life is perfect. Not because I’ve become one of those people who dances barefoot in a field while talking about gratitude.
I just decide.Whatever happens today, I’m not giving away my happiness for free.
And surprisingly, that works more often than you’d think. Sometimes I think we underestimate our ability to hype ourselves up. We’re constantly waiting for someone else to do it.
A compliment.
A promotion.
A message.
A like.
A sign from the universe.
Meanwhile, I’m over here giving myself a pep talk in the bathroom mirror like a slightly unhinged life coach. And honestly? She’s doing great.
The older I get, the more I realize we’re all just one phone call away from having our world turned upside down. That sounds dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s also true.
We all live as if we have unlimited time. As if next year is guaranteed. As if we’ll definitely take that trip, make that call, start that hobby, spend more time with the people we love. But do we actually know that? Not really.
Recently someone asked me if I’m worried that one day a vital organ might fail because of carnivore. Or that I’m missing some vitamin. Or some mineral. Or some nutrient that apparently only exists in a fruit or vegetable nobody actually enjoys eating. My answer surprised them.
No.
I’m not worried. I trust my body. I trust what I’m doing.
And even if the worst happened tomorrow, I still wouldn’t spend today being afraid of it. Fear is a terrible investment strategy. It steals from today and promises nothing in return.
Maybe that’s why I’ve started noticing more things.
I look at people now. Really look.
When I walk through Amsterdam, I make eye contact.
I see tourists struggling to fit eight people into a selfie. So I offer to take the photo. I notice the old couple holding hands. The exhausted parent carrying a screaming toddler. The street musician playing for three people like it’s a sold-out stadium.
I notice all of it. Because I’m actually here. Present. Living in the moment.
And honestly, I don’t know whether that’s the meat. Maybe it’s all the protein. Maybe it’s the fat. Maybe my brain is simply running on premium fuel these days. Or maybe something else happened.
Maybe at some point I realized that life is uncertain whether I eat steak or salad. And if that’s true, then I’d rather spend my time smiling.
I’d rather enjoy my husband.
I’d rather annoy my children.
I’d rather offer the tourist the photo.
I’d rather be the slightly weird woman who talks to strangers and laughs too loudly.
Because one day, for all of us, there won’t be another morning.
Until then?
I’m going to enjoy the glow. Whether it came from Korean skincare, ribeye steak, or simply being happy to still be here.
Karen says it’s the serum.
Debbie says it’s positive thinking.
I’m just glad I woke up.
The Woman Behind the Jersey 