Finding Happiness in the Simplest of Things

I flipped my Moleskine to a fresh page, and titled my journaling exercise ,“What Makes Me Happy?” I began to number down the page, over 100 things, many of these things were on my list then, but this is my list today. These are in no particular order. What made this exercise so transformative was my realization that almost everything on my list was at my fingertips. None of it costed much money. I had china tea cups, I just needed to rid myself of the grocery store stoneware, I had crystal and silver, I just needed to take it out of hiding and use it daily. Taking time to walk trails and quit dying my hair, and buying clothes that I loved was a process that would take time, but I knew it was what I wanted.

I tell my students that we know what someone values and prioritizes by what they spend their time and money on. If waking up to a clean kitchen gives me pleasure, why would I go to bed with dishes in the sink?

What makes me happy?

1. Drinking tea out of china tea cups
2. Clean sheets pressed sheets
3. Sleepovers with my grand babies
4. Baby giggles
5. Long car rides with my daughters
6. Holidays
7. Being greeted at the door by my pets
8. Pink cottages
9. Freshly ironed embroidered pillowcases
10. A clean kitchen
11. Quiet mornings
12. Cuddling on the sofa with my dog
13. Early morning walks
14. Antique stores
15. Second hand stores
16. Opening a fresh bag of coffee beans
17. A clean refrigerator
18. Opening a drawer and finding neat piles of underwear
19. White cotton nightdresses
20. Silver tea sets
21. Homemade strawberry jam
22. Freshly baked bread
23. An afternoon with a good romance or cozy mystery novel
24. A cup of hot chocolate around a bonfire
25. A kayak ride in a quiet lake
26. Floral prints
27. White fluffy towels
28. Heavy crystal dishes
29. Doilies
30. Big family dinners
31. Baileys in my coffee
32. Evening visits with my mum and dad
33. Knitting parties with my girlfriends
34. Cuddling
35. Manicures/pedicures
36. Old vintage linens
37. Handmade quilts
38. Old wool blankets
39. Picking berries
40. 80’s rock
41. Scones and butter
42. Seafood bought right off the boat
43. Fresh pressed apple cider
44. The farmer’s market
45. Antique auctions
46. Afternoon at a local coffee shop
47. A new journal
48. Leather filofax
49. Coloured markers, stickers, washi tape
50. White enamel buckets and pans
51. Crocheted tablecloths and bed covers
52. Salted caramel vodka
53. Fire in the fireplace
54. Joni Mitchell
55. Carley Simon
56. Wool sweaters
57. Linen pants
58. Long gray hair
59. English country gardens
60. Herb gardens
61. Watching the sunset on Grand Manan
62. Walking trails, preferable in wooded areas
63. Bed and Breakfasts
64. Day trips
65. Boat rides
66. Snow storms
67. Meteor showers
68. Overnight company ( I love to have my girlfriends come for too much wine and a sleepover)
69. Bubble baths
70. Lavender linen spray
71. Mismatched china plates
72. A hard crisp apple
73. Chips and dip, appetizer plates
74. A new scented candle
75. Sharing meals and activities with my daughters
76. Having great conversations with my classes
77. Chunky silver jewelry
78. New stationary
79. Yarn stores
80. Boho style clothes
81. Writing days
82. The Gilmore Girls
83. Hallmark Christmas movies
84. Picnics
85. Feather pillows
86. Climbing rose bushes
87. Old houses
88. Forest paths
89. Waterfalls
90. A freshly made bed
91. Lace edged shelves and cupboards
92. Coming home from a trip
93. Christmas and all the chaos that goes with it
94. Yard sales/ auctions
95. Hand-made wooden kitchen tools
96. Glass refrigerator-ware (crystal boxes that used to come in refrigerators for storage)
97. Old cake tins
98. Canning jars
99. Swimming in lakes
100. Early morning journaling

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