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Forgetting Happiness
Updated: Mar 21, 2020
It stands to reason that the first post of my little corner of the internet should be about happiness. A year and a half ago, I had completely forgotten how to live with a smile, with spontaneity, and with gratitude. I was fat, sick, and sick of my lack-luster life.
Last weekend I was reminded of just how important infusing joy into our lives is. It was Sunday. I was tired. My apartment needed to be cleaned. To be perfectly frank, I just wanted to sit on my couch and do NOTHING... However, this is not the way my Sunday went, and I am so thankful for it!
Here's what did happen....
I begrudgingly agreed to going out with my boyfriend. As I said before, I wasn't in the mood, and we really didn't have a plan. Maybe we would grab a bite and some beer, maybe see a friend, maybe just stand around and pick our noses. It really didn't matter because my guy had some serious cabin fever and wanted to go play in the sun. This really was the only thing that convinced me. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I could bring the camera for some great pics and video.
So off we went...
As we started to drive, the dorky man next to me started cracking jokes, and then pulled out his camera and decided some up-close pics of my face in the car would be super attractive... Swing and a miss. The car ride did remind me of something so important though, to have gratitude for the little things that make us happy: windows down, warm air, sunshine, good jams blasting, and wonderful company. When's the last time you took a moment to enjoy something so small as the smell of fresh cut grass? Or the sound of your best friend's laugh?
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"Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he like to play?" "Does he collect butterflies?" They ask: "How old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weigh?" "How much money does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him. If you tell grown-ups, "I saw a beautiful red brick house, with geraniums at the windows and doves on the roof...," they won't be able to imagine such a house. You have to tell them, "I saw a house worth a hundred thousand francs." They they exclaim, "What a pretty house!" ... But of course, for those of us who understand life couldn't care less about numbers!"
~The Little Prince
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The day ended up being possibly one of my all time favorite outings. We stumbled upon a wine and beer street fair, met up with a new friend of mine, found a hole-in-the-wall stand-up comedy performance, ate burritos, played board games, and laughed our pants off.
Had I let my lack of spontaneity control me, I would have never gone. Had I let my lack of gratitude control me, I would have never enjoyed myself. Had I not done the work to be conscious of these things, I would not have even found my smile.
WE FORGET HOW TO BE HAPPY. Not because there is a lack of it in our lives, but because we forget how to see it, how to embrace it, and how to let it fill us up for a moment, hour, or day. Happiness is a choice.
Check out my YouTube channel to watch the full shenanigans of this day.