Yes, it’s another “list” writing exercise from The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. This time I’m on page 129, working on my list of fifty things, big and small, that make me happy!
Honestly? I think there are more than fifty, because this one wasn’t hard at all. Maybe I’m just more in practice for this sort of thing because of working on awareness for my gratitude practice. It’s easy to pick out the little things now – easier than it was once, anyway – that make life so beautiful
Happiness is not only a mood. It is a decision. Writing our list of fifty happinesses causes us to see how simple some forms of joy are, how we can make ourselves happy in simple ways – read the Neruda poems, eat the ice cream, take time to check out the sunsets. Happiness lists are also an effective deterrent for situational depression. When the blues set in, the simple act of listing joys can help elicit some.
- Lazy Sundays at home with my husband
- Spending time with friends and family
- Good coffee
- Dark chocolate
- Petting the cats while they purr
- The dog leaping in excitement when I come home
- Sunshine on my skin
- Writing
- Reading
- Photography and art
- Bubble baths
- Travel
- Museums
- Sierra Mist soda
- Pink sunrises
- Pink cupcakes
- Fresh strawberries and plums
- Farmer’s Markets
- Grass between my toes
- Sand between my toes
- Flowers blooming
- Fireflies
- Ladybugs
- Baby animals
- Finishing a craft project
- Picking out a new craft project!
- Blowing bubbles
- Driving with the windows down and the music loud
- Getting a handwritten note or letter
- Folding warm laundry
- That feeling right after a great haircut
- Crazy colours of nail polish
- Being around old growth trees
- Groot
- Thunderstorms
- Warm rain
- Crawling into bed on Mondays – clean sheet day!
- Watching baby goat videos on YouTube
- Making up songs to sing to the animals. Or the husband.
- Sonic real fruit slushes. Why don’t we have Sonic in Canada??
- Board game nights with friends
- Stitch n’ bitch nights with friends
- Writer’s group
- Book club
- Coffee dates with friends
- Romantic dates with my husband
- Modern Family and Blackish (my TV indulgences! Never fail to make me laugh.)
- Bubblewrap
- Crushed Ice
- A good night’s sleep with only good dreams
For extra happy, this one includes a bonus llama!! You just can’t beat a bonus llama…
2 Comments for “Fifty Bits of Happiness”
Samantha Adkins
says:Ooh, must try sierra mist soda. Is it only in the states too? You should try watching Life in Pieces. If you like Modern Family, you’ll probably enjoy that as well:)
Katie Kenig
says:There’s an import store in Calgary that sells it apparently – or so I’m told, I’ve only ever bought it in the states. I love it because it isn’t overly sweet and tastes really “clean” and citrussy. 🙂 We have some Life in Pieces on the DVR, I think we’ve only watched one or two though – not enough for me to get too into it yet, but I may!