How to be happier? Start thinking consciously. Make a list of things you love, things that bring you joy and pleasure, things that add to your happiness. People. Places. Sounds. Experiences. Make it a long list, and notice how many of those things are already in your life on a regular basis. Stop, and be thankful. Then start adding in more happiness to your life by including those items on your list: cut out the frustrating, irritating things and include happy things instead. It’s your life.
{My Happy List}
- sitting in bed, drinking coffee and reading and writing
- white bathrooms
- taking long walks off the paved paths
- playing outside with my children
- white, plush bed linens
- chatty phone calls with my best friends
- writing letters
- summer picnics
- browsing in bookstores
- music, bands, concerts
- climbing trees
- simple, fresh food
- homemade bread
- playing soccer
- coffee and conversation with anyone interesting
- learning, researching, studying, taking notes
- reading poetry
- memorizing and quoting beautiful lines back to myself
- trips to the farmer’s market
- working in the garden
- being lost in a novel
- sitting outside in the morning coolness
- playing guitar, singing
- relaxed, unhurried cooking
- loud-music, windows-down drives in the car
- breakfast food when somebody else makes it: waffles, pancakes, hot coffee, omelets
- porch swings
- making things
- mowing the yard
- garage sales, thrift stores
- making lists
- dark chocolate
- being barefoot
- being outside
- fresh flowers in the house
- open, uncluttered spaces
- giving things away
- music I can sing with: Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie King Cole, country, opera, musical theatre, Norah Jones, Misty Edwards, the Cranberries, Elvis Costello, Gogol Bordellos, VeggieTales, Carole King, Evanescence, Skillet, Aretha
- daring, original, get-your-interest, expressive ways of writing, combining genres
- detailed, imaginative stories about animals, nature, fairies, secret worlds, shipwrecks, islands
- orchids, hydrangeas, tulips, sweet williams
- bright colors
- teaching
- a warm scone and a latte
- taking walks with my family
- talking with Joe
- unscheduled days
- the sound of a typewriter
Inconvenience is worthwhile, sometimes.
Put more of this happy stuff in your life. It doesn’t inconvenience anyone, and even if it does… well, it might be worth it. All-white bed linens, for example. Not practical when you’re a Mom of three kids under three years old. It inconveniences me to have to wash and bleach my sheets and comforter and shams on a regular basis to keep them white. But it’s worth it for me every time I walk into my bedroom and see a beautiful, plush, all-white bed. Even more worth it at night when I get to snuggle down into that bed. Aaaaah.
Free to a good home: happiness.
Hardly anything on this list costs money, or any significant amount of money. You could spend a lot on concerts and bed linens, but that’s not necessary. I love local bands and the free concerts offered at city parks in the summertime. Those cost nothing.
Great books: free at my local library. Dark chocolate: a few dollars here and there, same with a great cup of coffee to enjoy over conversation. Long walks: free. Climbing trees: free. Kicking a soccer ball around in the front yard: free.
Happy me.