Life has been hard for a lot of us lately. It isn’t always easy to find things to be happy about. And it can seem almost wrong to want to be happy when there is so much suffering in the world.
But there is nothing wrong about searching for joy in the midst of suffering. It doesn’t mean that we are in denial, it means that we are accepting a gift that has been given to us.
Finding the Happy Moments
What things are making you happy these days?
Sometimes it really is the little things- the stars shining bright, a perfect cup of coffee, or a rare snuggle from my 5 year old.
And really, the little things are big. As Winnie the Pooh said, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.”
And as Denis Waitley said, “A good life is a collection of happy moments.”
Lately my happy moments have included a lot of walks outside- sometimes in the sunshine, occasionally in the rain.
For music, I’ve listened to Is He Worthy by Andrew Peterson more times than I will count.
I’m doing more yoga with my 2 year old and Hey Duggee.
My latest cooking victory was making naan to go with my Indian food without smoking out the apartment.
I’m rereading The Throne of Glass by Marissa Marr because a nice long YA fantasy series is the escapism I need right now.
When I look for them, the happy moments are there waiting to be found.
Choosing to Give Thanks
Along with trying to recognize happy moments when they come, I’ve been working on practicing thankfulness. And I find that the more I recognize the things I am thankful for, the more I shift my mindset away from anxiety and towards joy.
I want to choose joy.
I want to be fully present for the happy moments that come, to soak them in and fill my days with them instead of getting distracted by the unknowns all around us.
Sometimes it helps me to practice my favorite self care activities and sometimes I need to just start over and create new routines because so much as has changed.
And that’s okay. We’re figuring things out as we go.
I’m letting a lot of things go these days. There isn’t always a lot getting checked off my to-do lists. And there are still a lot of unknowns in the world.
But you know what? I have so much to be thankful for.
What things are making you happy right now? What are your favorite reread books and go-to cozy activities?
I hope you are safe and well today!
