Happiness is something everyone strives for. Whether is be happiness in a job, home, relationships, or successes. Everyone wants to be happy and that happiness is totally achievable.
In life I’ve found an immense amount of happiness. However we all know that with happiness there also has to be sadness. That’s how you can really feel and appreciate happiness is through sadness.
What brings me JOY
I love that feeling you get right after you talk to someone you love. You go back about your day with a smile. For instance, I love my neighbor. Every time I see her we catch up for a quick second. She fills me in on her day, and I, mine. She talks to me like we’ve been friends forever, when in reality, only 6 months.
Maybe it brings me so much happiness because I’m forming a relationship and that’s how I find life fulfilling. Or maybe it’s because we both need a little laugh once in a while and to know we both have each others back. Either way, I love that feeling right after when I’m happy and and feel a lot of peace. Do you know the feeling I’m talking about? It’s hard to articulate.
I find joy in cleaning. Now this in itself is a shocker of a statement for me. In my teenage years cleaning was my worst friend. I rarely cleaned my room, but because of it, my life felt out of control. The older I’ve gotten, the more I appreciate a clean and tidy home.
I love seeing a space transform from messy to warm and welcoming. And then to watch my husband come home from work and have a place to relax in. Not just cleaning up quickly though. I love sanitizing countertops, sweeping and mopping, washing all dishes, laundry put away, mirrors Windex, and bathroom sanitized. It all brings me so much happiness in living a clean life. It clears my head to handle other stresses.
I love going on walks. Evening walk are a must for me. It allows me to clear my head and get moving. Plus, I love looking at homes in my neighborhood. Some old, some new, it is always very cool to see where people live. I bring my kids and dog with me as we explore and become more aware of our area.
Getting up and moving has always been very healing for me. It brings me joy by allowing me a safe way to clear out the negative emotions, such as stress, anger, denial, worry, and anxiety. After I always return home happy and relaxed enough to start settling down for the evening.
I find a great deal of joy in serving. I love going to the shelter, helping people in my community, and other service opportunities. You truly do leave serving others a better person. Filled with compassion and love you’re then able to give that love again, and again.
Going to shelters and loving on dogs is probably one of my favorites. A lot of these dogs are dropped off, or given up on. They are confused and so sad. Needing someone to show them love is a huge step in then being adopted.
Last thing the brings me happiness is plants. This is the last one for this blog today, but definitely not the last one in my life. I have recently gotten into house plants. With several all around my house it’s hard to want to stop buying more.
Plants bring so much peace. Each one has its own beauty and brings a different character. My favorite being my second plant. This plant I took risk on because it was my first big plant. I had no idea how to actually care for plants and had killed most I had received. But this one is easy to care for and is hard to kill. I love seeing it in my bedroom and how happy it is there with the perfect amount of light.
I challenge all of you to sit down and write all the things that make you happy. In doing so, you are redirecting any negative emotion and replacing it with joy. Then, the next time you feel sad you can go over your list and be reminded of all the things that bring you happiness.
All my love,
Talesha