Getting happy and finding joy are possible no matter our circumstance. We can have our own version of a full and robust life. This lies first in not comparing ourselves to others.
The grass isn’t greener over there. The front lawn might be perfectly manicured yet
inside the house everything’s a hot mess where you can’t see it.
Happiness can be had when scaling the heights isn’t possible. This shouldn’t be
conditional on something happening in the future. Hobbies that are cheap and cheerful can
elevate us right now.
I learned this after my literary agent sent me an email five years ago. She wrote that even
if I didn’t publish the career guide I was already doing things that were worthy. Like keeping my blogs and doing public speaking.
This is how joy can appear to us in ways we didn’t expect. John Lennon’s famous quote was: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
Getting happy can be as simple as listening to the radio which is free. Cooking yourself a
meal. Or watching football on TV. Whatever sparks joy should be cherished. A full and robust life is had when we’re doing what we love.
I’ve wanted to talk about how it’s the little things that thrill me. My home improvement
project this January was a case study in finding incomparable joy. For $17.99 each I bought two rolls of canvas shelf liners. Cut the liners to size. Inserted them on the cabinet shelves above my kitchen sink. Placed them on my pantry shelves too.
A simple act like this sparked double happiness for me. How could it be possible to take
joy in lining shelves you might ask.
After you’ve survived a hardship you’re often grateful for the little things. You treasure
what you have. What you have is enough. Making art out of the ordinary—changing the table
décor at the start of each new season; hosting a dinner party for friends at the dining table—is a way I’ve found to have a full and robust life.
See? It’s that simple. Think about what would make you the happiest and go do that.
The best kind of joy comes from gratitude. Keeping a grateful journal can alleviate
depression. Write not only what you’re thankful for. Detail why you appreciate those things.
A refrigerator magnet extolls: Find something you like and do it forever. The ticket to
coping in a tough time can be as simple as:
Saying a prayer before a meal.
Enjoying a hot chocolate at Starbucks.
Taking a walk around the block in the morning.
Swiping on a stunning shade of lipstick.
Feeling sunshine on your face.
Building in this bliss as a routine occurrence is like frosting on a cake. We should have
the cake at every opportunity.
In the end living our lives and loving our lives are what matters. To be who we are counts
more than what we can achieve. We are gorgeous because we exist.
