All the Things I Know About Happiness I Learned From My 9-Year-Old Yellow Lab

Every single morning, Minjay wakes up with a wide smile on his face, filled with such joy and energy. And when my husband and I wake up, he's delighted to see us so we can start our day, with all its adventures, together. He runs to our bed, wags his tail, and jumps up and down — and I've learned his mood is contagious.

We sometimes get in our own grumpy way in the morning. But I've found that shifting my mood to just being grateful that I wake up every day and excited for what lays ahead can make a huge difference.