We continue on the journey of unanswered questions with question number four: What makes you happy? What a great question, right? Intentional time to think about what puts a smile on my face, a warm sensation in my body, and a contented and filled heart is enough to get though even the toughest of days. I will begin with a few brief disclaimers: 1) the rest of this post may not be a complete list of all things that make me happy, but it will, at least perhaps, get you going on your list of what makes you truly happy, and 2) the following list is not by any means in any sort of sequential order, especially not by order of importance, just more the order that they came to my head. Okay, let's get on with this list of happiness goodness.
• Ice cream. Is there any denying that ice cream is just one of those things that puts a smile on your face? I mean, really, what's not to love? Sugary, creamy deliciousness usually slathered in some other variety of sugary goodness...yum! All time favorites include: Ben&Jerry's seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake and Coldstone's retired flavor concoction known as Black Forest Dream.
• Food in general. Okay, so after thinking about the joy of ice cream, my mind immediately wandered to all of the other foods that I ever so much enjoy. Some foods are just for eating, but some foods were created and designed solely for enjoying. Mom's lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, cheesecake, chocolate, Grandma's cinnamon rolls...go on a drool for a moment. I know you have favorite comfort foods that come to your mind, too. The grin is almost unstoppable. Food, yes, food, makes me happy.
• Accomplishments. When I do good, I tend to feel good. Doing noteworthy things just makes me happy. I don't need the applause of others necessarily (although that can be fun, too), and I don't need accolades from around the nation or even from around the neighborhood. No, accomplishments could make me happy even if no one knew I accomplished them. A few accomplishments that stick out as particularly happiness-sparking: climbing six 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, singing the national anthem on the 50-yard line of a college football stadium, completing a Master's degree, buying a home of my own, remaining pure for my future husband (yep, I just said that)... Is your mind starting to wander to your own accomplishments? Go ahead and smile! They make you happy, too, right?
• Cleanliness. This one probably is raising a few eyebrows. Why would cleanliness make me happy? Well, I guess I'm not sure. I just know that sometimes I get excited to clean things, and I feel really great once I've got them clean. House, yard, office (hard to tell in some situations, I realize), they all make me smile when they're squeaky clean and looking their best.
• The great outdoors. Despite being petrified by most common bugs and various other icky things, the great outdoors still easily makes the happy list. There is something about being outside that is like being with God, breathing His air, witnessing His creation first hand. I love sitting outside, working outside, playing outside... I love the change of seasons, the varied landscapes, the extremes of nature at every turn. At this point, I am stilling in my office, grinning like an idiot because of all of things that can make me happy...on with the list.
• Family. I have the type of family that you grew up with on TV. You know the families...where life lessons were discussed, dinners were always eaten together, and Friday nights were not nights to go out to a party but rather stay in and watch TGIF and eat pizza in the living room. That was, and still is my family. We cut down a Christmas tree together every Christmas, attend church together when we're all in the same town, and visit each other as often as possible. Growing up, I didn't realize the value of growing up as I did. I assumed that's just how everyone lived. At this point in my life, I have realized how terrifyingly wrong I was about that. More people than not live in broken homes with messed up families. They fight, hate, hurt, and destroy. They're hungry, dirty, wasteful, and mean. My family was not, and is not, perfect. We've all made plenty of mistakes throughout the years. But we're a good family, filled with love. And that makes me happy.
• Kids. Having none of my own, temporarily, I turn to other people's kids to make me happy. There's just something about a toddler laughing or a baby reaching for your finger that warms the coldest of hearts. I used to watch other people's kids as often as possible. With a full time career, that has gotten quite a bit trickier. I still take joy in playing with kids at church, joking with my neighbor's kids, and occasionally watching a few here and there. Frankly, I cannot wait to have kids of my own. I can't imagine how much more joy my own will bring to my life.
I firmly believe that I could go on...and on...and on. But given that I am still indeed sitting in my office, with much work to be done, and given the fact that I did disclaim at the beginning that this would not be a full list, I'll go ahead and stop for now. I may revisit in the near future however. And hopefully, you've taken at least a few minutes and pondered some of those things that make you most happy in life. Hopefully, you're smiling right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment