What Makes You Happy?

It’s amazing how hard this question can actually be, but it’s such an important question to be able to answer. Because if you don’t know or can’t state what makes you happy, how can you move towards adding more of “that” into your life? The first step is awareness. The first step to most things is awareness, for that matter.

Even with the little things, the everyday things, being fully aware to notice what makes you happy- and present enough to notice when they are happening- is what is going to increase their happy-power for you. For me, for example, some of the “little things” that make me happy are sunbeams streaming through trees, the sound my guinea pig makes when she’s happy, the smell and sound of air-pop popcorn, and the bubbles of club soda fizzing on my nose. When I practice heightening my awareness of and enjoying, truly breathing in and enjoying, those little things as they exist, my ability to extract happiness from them (or rather, having those things be a catalyst to channel my own inner energy into positivity) increases.

I’ve been trying to practice looking for those moments, and really reveling in them. The last time I saw fall light streaming through the trees, I remembered to really stop and soak it in. It was so lovely I nearly cried. Our senses are AMAZING and we are so fortunate to be able to appreciate the experiences they present us.

What are we waiting for? The bigger picture life-happiness issues are important, and deserve time spent in their pursuit, but maybe this week we can practice soaking up the little moments that make us light up. In the face of overly-negative newscasts, to-do lists, and occasionally going on autopilot, it’s all the more important to take moments here and there to remind yourself you’re alive and appreciate those little things that make life really good. Here’s to lots of moments of finding beauty and light and goodness. Tell me, what are those things for you??