List of Happiness

Regardless of how my life is going, I always strive to be happy. Every once in a while you get those random bursts of happiness that come in all shapes and sizes. It could be getting to see an old friend after not seeing them for a very long time and having that moment where every amazing memory of them rushes through your brain for a mini happiness high or it could be getting excited about the fact there is just enough leftover spaghetti from the night before and you don't have to make dinner. Other times, quite frankly, you just feel BLAH! I wanted to figure out how to pick myself up on days that I feel down or just not quite as happy as I would like to be. Some days it is hard, all I can think about is "Why can't I just stop procrastinating and get the laundry folded" or "How come this happened to me" or "What could I have done that would have changed how something turned out" and it finally hit me, I have to stop dwelling on the past.

My Grampa, who was a very wise man that I didn't get to spend much time with due to how far apart we lived, said something that has stuck with me through the years that I have always preached to others but never taken head to myself.

"You can't live your life on 'what if's" (How simple is that?!)

The point is, instead of sitting there thinking "What if I had done this" or "What if I had done that", think about the things in your life that make you happy. That is what I decided to do, to make a little list that worked for me. I know this list won't work for everyone, but hopefully there is at least one thing you can think of or do on this list that will make you happy or inspire you to make your own little "List of Happiness".


My List Of Happiness
1) I have a roof over my head and food in my belly (My mom always says this)
2) I can afford to put gas in my vehicle to get back and forth to work
3) No matter how much I dread waking up early for work, I'm luck to have a job that I enjoy
4) My husband works harder than anyone I know and never complains
5) My husband always supports me in whatever I do
6) My dad is healthy and is still my best friend
7) Elephants aren't extinct! (They're my favorite animal!)
8) I've been able to keep in touch with some of my oldest and closest friends (who are practically sisters) even though marriage and distance has separated us.
9) I can laugh at my mistakes (after a cry and whine about them haha!)
10) I have an amazing family (immediate, extended, and in-law)

**If thinking about those things doesn't work, I can just do some of these**

11) Hug someone special to me
12) Play with my animals (They're always happy to play and happiness is contagious...maybe that's yawns but you get the point)
13) Look at a picture or pictures of people I care about
14) Donate to a charity or volunteer at an animal shelter
15) Carry some sticky notes and a pen with you and write kind words and post them in bathroom stalls or in a book or on someones desk at work (I am not saying do anything that will get you in trouble. An example would be to write "You look beautiful today" and stick it to a mirror in the bathroom. It will make you feel a little better but imagine if the next person in is having an awful day and sees that, you probably just made them smile.)
16) Compliment someone (If you know someone is losing weight or notice they just got a haircut, tell them you can tell they've lost a little weight and you can tell or that you like their new haircut or color)**Side note** Never lie to someone but if you really can tell or you really do like the new do, let them know
17) Watch something that will make you laugh (I just saw a commercial of a cat "talking" about a kid playing in a "litter box" (sandbox) and freaking out because he thought it was gross...I cracked up...rewound it and cracked up again!)
18) Tell someone that they are important to you and that you care about them
19) Get my husbands clothes ready for the next day so he can sleep an extra five minutes
20) Talk in funny voices with my husband

So yea, those are some things that make me happy! Hopefully there is at least one thing on there that makes you happy too and if not, leave me a comment and let me know what makes you happy!

These are just some of the things I'm learning from life!