Are you happy at the moment?

I’m learning to be happy with myself and where I am in life. Happiness is an on-going journey without any real destination. Once I start believing that and treating it as such, I will be very happy.

If you could go back and say anything to your 16 year old self now – what would it be?

Do not allow other people to push their insecurities off on you. You are beautiful just the way you are and they hate you for it. And get help with Algebra and Trigonometry, you’ll appreciate it your freshman year of college.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned this year?

I cannot change the world, but I can change the world around me. Instead of taking on these huge endeavors to love and educate everyone the world over, I have to start with the people around me and pray they pay it forward.

What do you most want to achieve in the next 12 months?

At the moment, I am making plans to go back to school to make a career change. I’m also hoping to take more steps to achieve complete, delirious, sugary sweet happiness in every aspect of my life.

What’s your secret to happiness?

I’m not sure there is a secret. Happiness is all around us, more often than not, we don’t pay attention.

What one ritual or practice keeps you grounded?

Helping people in need definitely helps. Often times we get so caught up in our own greedy lives and we never stop to look at the folks around us. When we think we have it bad, someone else always has it worse.

What’s your biggest regret?

I don’t have any. Everything in life serves as a learning experience. When something happens that I can’t learn from, that is when I think I’ll have regret.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve taught your kid(s)?

I don’t have kids, but I have a lot of nieces and nephews. The one thing I tell them often is “if you tell the truth, you don’t have anything to remember.” Once you tell one lie, you have to tell another and another until you’re swimming and subsequently drowning in lies.

What bad habit would you most like to change about yourself?

I need to stop taking on everyone else’s problems as my own. My entire life I’ve always listened to other people’s problems and quickly sprang to action to help them out. People don’t always need or want my help and I need to wait until I asked.

Aside from motherhood and marriage what are you most proud off in your life?

Since I don’t have either at the moment, I’d say I’m most proud of my ability to bounce back after a setback. I allow myself a day to wallow in it and then I get to work on improving my situation.

When were you happiest?

I’m hoping I haven’t yet experienced my happiest time. I’m hoping to build on it for the rest of my days.

What ten words best describe you?

This seems really, narcissistic of me. LoL! Curious. Non-judgmental. Silly. Sarcastic. Persistent. Creative. Spiritual. Supportive. Talented. Nerdy.

Tiffany S. Jones, a North Carolina native, is a journalist, blogger, daughter, sister, auntie and friend. She blogs under the pseudonym Smarty P. Jones and can usually be found in a bookstore, watching TV or spending way too much time online.

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