My best friend gave me an amazing gift at the end of my senior year in college- it was a big blank book into which she had added a bunch of quotes, photos, drawings, cards, jokes, coloring book pages (“anger management sessions”), and other meaningful things so that I could always have something to turn to if I needed a little happiness. It was my first ever Happiness Book, and I still have it. And it was in that book that I started my original happy list… a stream of consciousness list of anything in the world that made me feel happy, regardless of how trivial or inconsequential they might seem to anyone else. This was my list, and I continued to add to it periodically when I thought of new things that made me smile.
For whatever reason- maybe it’s the holiday blues, maybe it’s this nasty sinus infection that is making my head pound- tonight I feel the need to start a new list, and remind myself that there will always be new things that lighten my heart. Here we go…
Hearing certain people’s voices
Kittens with spiky tails
Goat cheese and fig preserves on a cracker
The smell of cut grass in the summer
The tree in front of my house that turns orange in October
Ryan
Driving my tiny car barefoot with the sunroof open and the music loud
Flip flops
Making new playlists
Pedicures
Seeing someone I love walk through my door
Letterpress in its infinite beauty
Unexpected acts of kindness
Writing from the heart
Wandering with my camera
Feeling inspired to change things
Holding hands
A new piece of art
My favorite jeans
Cooking with someone else
Experiencing the unique talents of my artist and musician friends
Cuddling and knowing we don’t have to go anywhere
Ceiling fans
Pepper beer
Smoked wings
The feeling I get when all the groceries and laundry are put away
Knowing I can count on someone
White noise
Falling asleep smiling
Sitting on my porch swing
Opening a bottle of wine
My dining room table
Guys with beautiful hair
Discovering a new city
Jason Mraz concerts
Pretty much any music by Jon McLaughlin, Ed Sheeran, or Eric Hutchinson
Pen pals
Thai hot
Watching someone who loves what they do, do it
TED talks
Sad movies (they actually have the opposite effect on your brain)
Down comforters
Rearranging furniture
Getting to the drop shot
And there’s so much more…but this was a good start. I chose this photo because it reminds me not to take life too seriously, and this was one of those times when we were goofing off and someone caught it on camera. So, what makes you happy? Seriously, write it down. I would bet anything that your mood noticeably improves just through the sheer act of acknowledging what makes your heart sing.
