37 Things that make me happy

Have you ever made a list of things that make you utterly, ridiculously, jumping-up-and-down happy? Do you have a running list in your head that you refer back to when you’re having a bad day or when something gets under your skin? I think you should. Putting all the things that make me happy into list form was a pretty fun exercise. Nothing is too big or small to add. I’m printing it out for my fridge!

Read on!

Things that make me happy

Life can get crazy. We get stressed and flip out over stupid stuff. We stop calling the people who matter. We ignore those closest to us that are most deserving of our time. We neglect our own needs. We rush around and check off things on our never-ending mental to-do list. The list goes on… and all for what?

These days in France, I’ve slowed down the pace of what my life once was and I think it’s for the best. When you’re in need of a mental shift, make a list of what makes you happy. Here’s a list of things that make me happy. Maybe it’s a fleeting happiness, or a whole afternoon happiness, or a warms my heart from the inside kind of happiness. They’re all wonderful. 😉

When things in life aren’t going your way or you’re in a funk, taking a moment to notice the things we do have that we’re grateful for goes a long way.

Share something from your “What makes me happy list” below in the comments!

1. Waking up early, making coffee, and sitting down with Dagny for a bit before work to surf the web. I absolutely love my morning quiet time on the couch and it’s one of the top things that make me happy. So I’m putting it first.
2. Afternoon naps on a rainy day. Or just naps in general.
3. Birthday and holiday celebrations and decorations — just celebrating special moments.
4. Dagny rolling over and offering me her stomach for some tummy rubs. Pure joy (for both of us)!
5. Waking up and realizing it’s still the weekend.
6. Getting the grocery store’s promos for the week in the mail and seeing that a bunch of my favorite brands are on sale this week.
7. Getting through BODYATTACK and feeling strong at the end.
8. Logging into my blog’s WordPress dashboard and seeing that I have new comments. Love hearing from all of you!
9. Getting a package. Surprise or not, I love it when the postman pulls up to my door with something that’s NOT a bill.
10. Snow!!! Watching it. Walking in it. Playing in it. EVERYTHING SNOW.
11. Taking the time to write out a special thank-you note (like these beauties!) to someone who deserves it.
12. Calling my parents is one of the things that makes me happy.
13. New York City.
14. Happy dogs.
15. Breakfast food including pancakes (Kodiak Cakes protein-packed mix is my fave), waffles and French toast.
16. Logging into my credit card account online and seeing a $0 balance, meaning no interest. Recently paid mine off and SO PROUD.
17. Seeing those around me happy and successful in their personal and professional endeavors.
18. Sitting under an umbrella on the beach and watching the waves crash.
19. Buying new workout clothes even though my collection is already quite complete.
20. Seeing someone’s face light up after giving them a compliment.
21. When someone acknowledges I’ve worked really hard on something.
22. Trying a new fitness class.
23. Writing on my blog and growing Oui In France even more.
24. French yogurt varieties!
25. Discovering a new-to-me part of France (like Corsica) or visiting a place I love.
26. Pay day!
27. When your American debit/credit card works in France… the first time.
28. Going to bed early and waking up early the next day.
29. A Starbucks chai tea latte.
30. Snuggling up with a good book. Currently reading: Left of Boom: How a Young CIA Case Officer Penetrated the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. I saw the author’s iAmA on Reddit and was hooked.
31. Getting an email from a friend I haven’t talked to in a while.
32. Getting a good deal on something.
33. Pizza from this place in town that has excellent thin-crust pizza.
34. Getting my nails done — although it doesn’t happen much in France.
35. Using my new Le Creuset Dutch oven. I finally just bit the bullet and bought one when a friend from home was here and wanted to cook for us. So far, I’ve made a bunch of things (like this bread) AND LOVE IT.
36. Not having plans and just doing whatever you feel like.
37. Admiring (and sometimes buying) the beautiful spring flowers is one of the things that makes me happy. The ones at the park and the ones in the florist both do the trick. The picture below is one I took in the park down the street. They last about a week but are so incredibly beautiful. I’m not a plant person and usually kill anything green, but something about vibrant flowers just gives me an immediate boost. They’re a metaphor for life in a way since they only last a short time. Our lives are short too and if we never take time to appreciate where we are in the moment, what’s the point? Flowers make me focus on the now, appreciate it for what it is and just be. If we don’t, we might miss something important.

 

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What’s on your “things that make me happy list?” Tell me about things that make you happy below in the comments!

Read Part 2 of things that make me happy here.