On most days, the choices begin before I even open my eyes. Should I get up when the alarm goes off, or snooze a little longer? Should I run, or leisurely enjoy my breakfast while skimming Lucky magazine? Go Girl vs. Starbucks. Heels vs. flats (flats almost always win). When I get to work, there are even more choices—priorities, attitudes, actions. Who will I choose to be today?

I have recently come to the conclusion that choosing to be joyful is indeed, a choice.

That’s a difficult concept for me to grasp, despite the fact that I typically consider myself to be a joyful person. Truthfully, I struggle to be joyful around those who are not, which has occasionally led me to step away from friendships full of negativity. Do you have people like that in your life? The people who complain constantly and never have anything nice to say? Sometimes I get sucked into their negative energy, like a bug against a vacuum cleaner. I can try my best to run and hide, but eventually I get sucked in. Suddenly, I am surrounded by dust and dirt and negative comments, completely trapped and unable to break free.

That’s the thing about negativity. Once you’re in, it’s almost impossible to get out.

Or, is that just my lame excuse for allowing other people to dictate my behavior? Because I suppose, just as I can only focus on the type of friend I want to be, I can only choose joy for myself.

When all is said and done, people will continue to disappoint you. They will use their words to break your spirit, as they chase you with the vacuum cleaner. You can allow yourself to be sucked in, or you can choose to fight.

As I count down the days to my much-needed timeout, I vow to start every morning with the most important decision of my day.

And I choose joy.

Do you?