Happiness

It seems lately that there is a lot of unhappiness that I have encountered, mostly friends and co-workers.  Sometimes I get down about life, I mean who doesn't?  Things don't always go our way and there will always be trying and troubled times.  But I can't help but realize that life is too precious and short to stay down for too long.  

When I was a teenager, my mom bought my sister and I journals.  We were going through a "phase" of pessimistic attitudes, dealing with mean girls at school, and bickering over the coveted bathroom mirror.  My mom sat down with each of us and told us that every night we had to write down 5 things we were thankful for or that made us happy.  

At first I would make the same list every single night:

1.  My mom

2.  My dad

3.  My sisters

4.  My cat

5.  My house

I remember one day sitting down and actually thinking about it.  Yes, sometimes junior high was what I imagine hell might be like.  Yes, I fought with my parents and my sisters.  Yes, I was told to do things that I didn't want to do.  But as I sat there in my upstairs bedroom with my journal on my lap, I realized that I had a lot to be thankful for and a lot that made me happy. 

I thought about that today.  We spend too much of our life being miserable.  We have great things to accomplish, people to love, a beautiful earth to enjoy.  There isn't time to be unhappy.  Even if there is one small thing that makes us happy every day, that is something to celebrate.  My challenge this week is to find those small things (or big things) that make me happy and thankful and bring a smile to my face and maybe to someone else's.

5 Things that made me happy today:

1.  My bubblegum pink capris

2.  A Roseate Spoonbill flying over the Everglades at sunrise

3.  A quiet office

4.  Finding the last Riesen chocolate in the bag

5.My family

What makes you happy?

:)