Post 40: Be Absurd: Happiness

I’m going to do a throwback for this one and make a list. I’ve been feeling less than awesome recently for a number of reasons, and I don’t like being melancholy so I’m going to make a list of things that make me happy.

• Peppermint tea (but really peppermint flavored anything).
• Big cuddly scarves.
• Good books (trumped only by sharing them and letting others enjoy them too).
• Getting a hug from my dad.
• Laughing about dumb things with my sister.
• Sitting by a warm fire on a cold night.
• Stargazing (especially when I can see the Milky Way).
• Noticing the little things (like a snoopy mural out of the bus window, or when someone trips and no one else is looking.)
• Making people I like laugh.
• Good food (making and eating it).
• Trying new things (like ice skating).
• Having intelligent conversations with cute boys.
• Finishing something I’m proud of (whether it’s art or a big project or just an assignment).
• Cute small animals (I’ve always wanted a pocket-sized pet).
• The beauty of changing seasons (I could write a whole nother list just on this one).
• The icy taste of cold morning air.
• When a tree has multicolored leaves, mottled green and red and orange fall colors.
• A sudden summer shower that cools everything off.
• Camping (see below).
• The sounds of nature waking up around you and the sizzle of bacon.
• Being able to see your breath in the morning.
• The smell of rain. And fresh-cut grass. And hazelnut coffee. And fire.
• The first magical moment when it starts to snow.
• Walking through fresh snow.
• The way that snow wraps the world in silence.
• Everything about snow, honestly.
• Christmas music.
• Finding the perfect gift for someone I love.
• Catching up with my family.
• The feeling after the end of a nice date.
• Exploring Richmond (and discovering its secret places).
• Late night conversations.
• Storms.
• Soft fuzzy blankets.
• When other people appreciate something I’ve done (my cooking, my art, a favor, whatever).
• People watching. It’s so fun and sort of soothing to watch others go about their daily lives.
• Small gestures. Just little reminders that someone cares. A note or letter, a nice comment, a smiley face sticker somewhere random.
• The sunrise at the beach.
• The warm, slightly tired glow after a good workout.
• The city from far away or high up.
• Listening to a great song for the first time.
• When your favorite song comes on.
• Holiday traditions.
• Getting to sleep in on a cold rainy day.
• The beach when it’s empty.
• Genuine compliments.
• Sinking into bed after a long day.
• Making people smile.
• Finding money.
• Riding my bike on a beautiful day.

Wow. So I started this list at like two in the morning and just saved it as a draft and coming back to add to it, plus reading through what I’d written, I just realize how much I have to be thankful for and enjoy every single day. I’m alive and just that is awesome. I shouldn’t let my recent funk get me down, I just need to remember to take the time to enjoy myself more. I know cheering others up always puts me in a good mood so maybe I can do that.

I want to be a dispenser of joy.

I apparently gave myself this idea commenting on another post (who knew giving feedback would be so helpful in my posts??). My idea was a way that VW could give encouragement: “an advertisement at a bus stop that dispenses smiles (in sticker form)”. I said that. That’s a great idea! So I just spent about thirty minutes making all the sticky notes I had on hand into smilyfaces as I listened to TED talks about ideation and I will say that was not time wasted. I now have tons of ideas for posts and I also have all these cute faces, now the only thing left to do is share them. So of course I went and put all of them on the wall by the elevators in my dorm with a note that says: “Take one. Don’t forget to smile.”

 It’s not quite a dispenser of stickers at a bus stop or whatever, but the general idea is the same. The actual dispenser would be a great example of innovative design (Free stuff at a bus stop is just great. Hmm, they should have an AIDS awareness ad that dispenses condoms…). Besides, free smilyfaces are such an easy way to brighten someone else’s day, and the slight absurdity of giving them away to random people (even if I’m not doing it in person) definitely adds a little surprise pleasure to your everyday.