I was talking to a buddy of mine about being in limbo, wanting to be happy with one's life while at the same time reaching toward a life that will make one truly happy.
How does one be at peace with everyday life when it's not an ideal life? My friend's advice: find happiness in the little things. Of course, we know there are the big things (kids, significant others, friends, a fulfilling career...) to make us happy. We expect to work on those. And that's another post for another time.
Suffice it to say that sometimes we need a break from those big things, but we still want to be happy.
Whether you're blissfully happy in your life right now, you're working toward a better life, or something in between, I think it's smart that we all look at the little things that make us happy.
Here's my list to start:
- Chatting with friends online. I realize people have been doing this for AGES, and although I've been working virtually since 2001, I've never really chatted recreationally before. Whether it's in IM, Facebook, or Twitter, I love connecting with people I love.
- Making cookies. I spent two days obsessing over no-bake cookies. I printed out three recipes to try to figure out which one was the best. Note: almond extract does NOT go well with chocolate-peanut butter no-bake cookies.
- Tea - like that's a big surprise.
- Watching West Wing. If you know me at all, you know I'm a lame TV watcher, and I'm just now doing the whole West Wing thing. Kind of like my online chatting.
- Reading Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. I read it every year, and you can read what I've said about it before here and here.
- Unexpected, unplanned, funny and/or sweet moments with my girls.
- Getting lost in a really cool project for a client.
- People using great words.
- Surprise phone calls from people I love.
- Coloring.
- Music. I've always loved music, but lately it seems to be even more a part of my life. I love my "Songs We Don't Hear Enough" and "Songs That Stir The Soul" playlists on my iPod.
What are the little things that make you happy?
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