I woke up this morning with this song in my brain:
And my boot camp workout instructor played it at the beginning of class today, so I figured it was a sign. (Funny how a great song can make hell class fun…)
It started me thinking about happiness and what it actually means. We’ve got some sun today (a miracle in itself here in the PacNW), the coffee’s strong and hot, the birds are singing, the trees are leafing out because hey, it’s spring, and I get to work on a book. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s the small moments every day that make up happiness, at least for me.
Sure, it’s great if/when the big stuff happens like winning the lottery, or getting a new job, or selling a gazillion books, welcoming a new addition to the family, whatever. But I’m convinced the key to being really happy is to notice all the everyday stuff we all take for granted. When’s the last time you were grateful for a hot shower? Or clean underwear? Or being able to walk a block without hacking up a lung (okay, probably those of us who got the crud this winter can relate to that one). Anyway, my point is this–so many of us are running around in circles, waiting or looking for happiness (e.g., I’ll be happy when this happens, or that person notices, or I have X amount of money in the bank) that we’re missing all the good stuff.
Time with friends and family, hearing an awesome song on the radio (or waking up with it in your brain), the taste of dark chocolate, a car that runs, clean clothes–the list is endless. Yeah, the weekend dissolved faster than shaved ice on a hot sidewalk, and yes, I almost burned the house down because I forgot the hummingbird food cooking on the stove, which led me to bang my head against the cupboard as I rushed around the kitchen opening windows (the house smells like burnt sugar now. Could be worse 🙂 ) but ya know what? It’s all GOOD. And to top it all off, it’s Carol Burnett’s birthday. It seriously doesn’t get any better than that.
So, what makes you happy?
This is so true, DV. While achieving goals may bring fleeting happiness, the long term joy is the accumulation of little everyday moments. One of the reasons I love walking is that if you pay attention to your surroundings (which so few people seem to do nowadays) there is so much to see – even just from the changing seasons – to make you smile.
Exactly, Mel! Not that I’m against reaching goals, mind you, but you’re right–the happiness is over so fast once you’ve achieved them.
I love to take walks, too. I have a few different routes and cover each of them several times a week, but I never seem to get bored. There’s always something to appreciate–especially now that it’s spring!
This is a great post.
Thanks, Kathryn 🙂