Are you happy? Like, really happy? In today's episode, Emma gets us thinking about what it really takes to be happy.

If you could talk to you, this is what it would sound like. In under five-minute clips, the Life Letters™ explores the topics of growth, change, self-love, relationships, and happiness. Hosted by author Emma Grace of Instagram’s hugely popular 'Live in the Details,' the Life Letters™ will hand you a daily dose of the words you never knew you always needed to hear.

Podcast Transcript: I heard this morning that changes come from choice. And also that— changes are much more important than circumstances. Let those sink in. I think most of us *get* how all this works. We know what we’re supposed to do— what we are supposed to focus on. We know what we should feel and the choices we’re supposed to make. It’s just that— when we get right down to it, it is really hard to change a life, isn’t it? It is hard to change a routine. A pattern. A lifetime of doing something a certain way. Someone reminded me of that last night. “You give this advice to other people,” she had said. “Don’t you believe it for yourself?” Yikes. She called me on it. “Of course I believe it,” I said. “It’s just that— well, it’s just that it’s much harder to apply to life than it is to know it’s the right thing to apply to life.” She smiled at me. Guys— I get that we are all carrying a bunch of heavy stuff. I get that we are all working to overcome and let go and be better and have more. And I get that most of us are tired. Tired of hearing all the things we need to do that we aren’t doing. But you know, if you sift through the billions of advice-givers (myself included) out there, there are really only TWO THINGS that matter. That have EVER mattered. One— that you are living a life you will be (and are) proud of. And two— that you are happy. HAPPY. And I am telling you—every SINGLE choice you make should be tilting you in those two directions. Make a mistake? Great— make it right. And then you can be proud. And then being proud of what you did, even if it was hard— will make you happier. Not finding the one? Ok. Work on yourself. And as you do, you just may find that you attract what you create. Yes, it’s complicated. For me too. But you know, time is ticking by for all of us. And we’re spending it on things and people and worries that just don’t matter. That— won’t— matter. So here’s the message for you, love. The sign from the sea of “listen to me” messages you have to sort through out there. Be happy, love. It’s time. It has *been* time. 

Main music by Monplaisir. Song "Helice." From the Free Music Archive. Licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Podcast intro also by Monplaisir. Song "Z Z." Licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.