I’m a very simple person and it doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Surprisingly, it’s the material things that make me the most stressed in life. To me, happiness is about appreciating what we have in our lives and not about what we don’t have. There’s a quote that I am very fond of by Bob Marley which says, “Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” So an important part of my life is reminding myself of what truly matters to me. I try to cherish what I have and always appreciate those whom I love.

Among the many things that keep me joyful, there are a couple of things which stand out. My girlfriend Noelle is by far the most important person in my life. To understand why I cherish her so much, you would have to know who I am. Occasionally I have slip ups, and I can be a very angry, stubborn and mean person. Noelle is the only person that can get me out of my horrible moods. Behind every good man stands an even better woman. I am so thankful to have such a amazing woman to keep me in line.

Christopher Mccandless once said, “Happiness is only real when shared,” and I know that we will share our happiness together for the rest of our lives. I’m a very lucky man to have found love at such a young age. I could write endlessly about how much I love her, but to save everyone from reading an entire romance novel, I’ll just keep this short and sweet.

I also cherish my camera. There’s nothing like being outside, submerged in nature, taking photos of what is going on around me. The most powerful part of having my camera is the ability to share with others what I see through my lens. Capturing how beautiful nature is, and just how amazing the earth is, is yet another reminder of why I am so lucky to be living here on this planet.

Life it isn’t about money to me. While money helps us survive it doesn’t make me happy. I feel that if society starts to appreciate the little things in life, rather than material items, the world would be a much happier place. Surround yourself with the ones you love and discover something that truly makes you a happy person. Live life with a purpose and be thankful that you woke up to live another day.