The 50 Little Things
Originally Published: July 23, 2014
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to do what everyone else is doing.
I am going to do what I do.
That's why this week I kept track of the little things in my life that made me happy. Some are simple and occur everyday, some are more complex and rare, and some are just plain weird. But, hey, the more weird you are, the more fun you are, right?
The 50 Little Things
1. A scenic view
2. A good country song
3. A pillow pet snuggled up perfectly on your bed
4. The feeling of your couch after a long day
5. A good book
6. The first sip of warm tea/coffee
7. A smile
8. Being told you are good at what you love doing
9. Dancing to your favorite song
10. Letting your hair down after it has been up all day
11. Laying in the grass, looking up at the clouds
12. When people remember you after only meeting you once
13. Freshly cleaned sheets
14. Hearing a child laugh
15. A free T-shirt
16. Runner's high
17. A good fortune cookie
18. When something you dread gets canceled
19. Days when you feel pretty
20. Summer walks
21. Freshly squeezed lemonade
22. Photo booth pictures
23. A hug
24. Over sized sweats
25. Payday
26. A pretty flower
27. A duck with babies
28. Crossing something off your to-do list
29. Driving home from work
30. Buying something you have been saving for
31. Smell of a candle
32. Fresh fruit
33. Cleaning your room
34. Finding the biggest potato chip in the bag
35. Doing nothing
36. Making someone laugh
37. Listening to the birds
38. Talking to your pet/someone else's pet
39. Seeing a shooting star
40. Quick downloads
41. Saying something that rhymes
42. Fuzzy socks
43. Having a full tank of gas
44. Having more fries in the bottom of the bag
45. The unique color of someone's eye
46. Pressing snooze on the alarm clock
47. A fully charged battery
48. A new pair of shoes
49. Receiving an unexpected message from a friend
50. Realizing the little things are the big things. They are life.
Not only is this list incomplete, it will never be perfect. There are so many things that make up happiness. The art of truly being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from the most common things. When you see the brightness of the sun, look deeper at the brightness of the dark. There is always a sparkle, a glimmer, and a chance of light at the end of the tunnel.
Life is dimensional, yet dimensionless. There are so many parts, yet the parts can all be blended onto one canvas. When you wake up, your canvas is blank. When you go to sleep, your canvas is full. Paint the little things and one day you will look back and realize you have created an entire portfolio. That was life and you lived it. One little thing at a time.
-Happiness in Handfulls