50 Things That Make Me Happy

When I was in College I was in a program for Environmental Studies; this meant my classes and electives were all derived from a pre-determined list of courses.  The certainty I had in choosing my post-secondary direction was good in that I was able to accomplish a Diploma as well as a BSc with a major and a minor in only 5 years, but I also lost out on some of the "funner" electives that everyone else was taking.  Classes like Sociology and Psychology, just weren't available to me; sometimes I wish I had taken an extra semester and had the chance to explore some of those options.  In truth however, I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have changed my career path and would have just prolonged my post-secondary education, which I was more than FINISHED with at the end of my five years.

One elective I was forced to take was philosophy.  In theory it seemed like something I would like; this particular class was about expressing your opinion and owning that opinion.  In fact we got marks for wearing a nametag each day (to show you stood behind your comments) and for having a neatly organized duotang, which the teacher would spot check each week.  Ok the latter was just stupid, but its truly one of the only things I remember from the class.

Actually I think that aside from the nametags and duotangs, the only thing I remember is the "50 things that make you happy" assignment.  When giving us the assignment, the professor actually pulled this worn piece of paper from his wallet; his 50 things that made him happy.  It seemed a little stupid at the time, and it seemed like such a simple task, but 50 is a pretty big number and it took some thought to think up 50 things that truly made me happy.  And as much as I hated to admit it, when I was having a bad day, I could look at that list and it almost instantly made me smile.

I lost THAT list a long time ago, but I think its time for a new one.  I urge you all to consider making your own list, and if you blog, post it and link it back here, it is seriously amazing to have a smile in your back pocket. Try not to read back through, change and/or judge your list.  Just sit down, write out the list and post it (easier said than done I know).  Somehow that makes it more authentic; no self-judgment allowed.

50 Things That Make Me Happy

(in no particular order)

1. The boy.
2. The Hubs.
3. Sunshine.
4. My family.
5. Big, authentic hugs.
6. Doing something altruistic for others.
7. The smell of rain in the forest.
8. A beautiful moment, captured on film.
9. Positive comments on my blog.
10. Taking actions to benefit the environment.
11. The boys' laughter.
12. The boys' smiles.
13. The boys' hugs and gooby kisses.
14. When the hubs strokes my hair and kisses my forehead.
15. Driving on the highway, on a sunny day, with the windows open and the music blaring.
16. Working in the garden.
17. A hot bath after a long day.
18. Watching things grow.
19. Cuddles from my cats.
20. Catching the people that I love in moments of happiness.
21. Listening to rain beating down on a tarp.
22. Dipping my feet into water (lake/ocean).
23. Eating food from street vendors.
24. Cooking for other people.
25. Watching people enjoy the food that I cook.
26. Baking cookies.
27. Curiosity in the boys' eyes.
28. Watching children play.
29. Being good at my job.
30. Learning something new.
31. Intimacy.
32. Playing softball with good friends.
33. Making a great play and getting the out (at softball).
34. Getting a solid hit (in softball) and moving the runners around.
35. Going for a walk.
36. Being Canadian.
37. Singing along to music when no one is listening.
38. Being a mom.
39. Being a daughter.
40. Being a sister.
41. Taking care of family - when they need it.
42. Reading a good book.
43. Being surrounded by nature.
44. A good discussion with a friend I don't see near enough.
45. My friends' and family's happiness.
46. Observing authentic love.
47. Finding a good sale on something I want.
48. Being outside.
49. Sharing my experiences with others.
50. Creating something with my own hands.

What makes you happy?
I'd love to hear 5 things that make YOU happy!