A rough day at work, a traffic jam on the drive home, a messy house and crabby kids when you get there.

What do all of these things have in common?

They can steal your joy and cause you to lose sight of the wonderful things in life that really matter.

Be very careful not to let the day to day things that annoy you shape your entire outlook on life. It's easy and can happen without even realizing it.

After awhile, you may find that you aren't smiling as much anymore. Your thoughts are more negative and you wake up in the morning already frustrated and not looking forward to the day ahead.

That's when you need to force yourself to step back and look at your life from that 30,000 foot view again. Make a list if you can, but at least pause and think about all of the great things in your life. And find your reasons to smile.

My job is really intense right now and I'm raising two boys (one of them a teenager), both of which come with a lot of stress. I have plenty of days where I feel like everything sucks. But in reality, it really doesn't. I just have to see past the clutter and find my reasons to smile.

Here's a short list of them:

• A successful career and the respect of the people I work with

• Two healthy, headstrong, assertive young men who are going to do great things in life when they grow up

• An amazing family who supports me in everything I do

• Physical health that allows me to keep up with my boys, and this hectic life

• The opportunity to positively influence someone else, even just a tiny bit, by the way I live my life and react to stressful situations.

I could also make a list of all of the little things that frustrate me, and it would be much longer, but certainly less meaningful. And it wouldn't add any value to my life.

When I was younger, I used to think that I had to grow up and do these amazing huge things in life that would change the world.

Turns out, I was wrong about that. I just need to remember all of the gifts I have been given (and worked so hard for) and smile more often.

People respond to a genuine smile and they generally smile back. And that in and of itself can change the world.

Find your reasons to smile, friends. They are always there if you take the time to look for them.