Making the choice (and commitment) to be happy is huge, and it’s just the first step. Once you choose to be happy, you have to figure out how to actually be happy.

While this may seem apparent to some, for those of us climbing out of the dark places inside ourselves the path is not so well lit. At this point in the journey, it is a good idea to seek council from those who have gone before and cleared the way. Depending on who you are and how you learn, you might consult with happy people you know or maybe you find a good therapist. I tend to seek council in books, so step two for me began with reading.

Because my depression began with the loss of my business and subsequent feelings of failure, I researched failing. Did you know it took Thomas Edison more than 2,000 tries to make the light bulb work? Or that Oprah was demoted from her job as an evening news anchor and told she wasn’t fit for television?

It didn’t take long before I realized not only was I not the only one to experience serious set backs, but also, to my pleasant surprise, I was in some really good company. And after all, if one person can bounce back, then we all have that possibility inside us.

Next I started researching and reading books about happiness. I read and read and read. Some books resonated more with me than others. I’d have at least two, and more often three, books going at once. What started as one pile on my nightstand became four. I kept colored pens close at hand so I could underline passages that particularly struck me as meaningful.

As I began collecting the works of authors I connected with, I noticed some recurring themes and paid more attention to the gems that frequented this treasure trove called happiness. Being grateful, not taking things personally, living in the moment, realizing we are never alone—these precious bits of wisdom popped up again and again.

So, I made my choice and then I gathered knowledge to support that choice. Great, you say. That and $4 will buy me a mocha at Starbuck’s. Where do I go from here?

We keep moving forward. On to step three…

Michele McKeag Larsen is on a mission to spread joy, optimism and inspiration. She blogs about her own continual journey toward joy at ISpyJoy.com.