100 Things to Make You a Little Happier, Part 2

As I continue my little search for happiness I find that each day is made up of moments. Some are glorious, some are painful, and some zoom by without notice. Happiness isn't an endless wave you can ride forever. It is exhilarating and beautiful, but it will crash, it will end. But it is up to us to find further joy in the splash, in the salty water, and in the far off horizon.

The list continues....


11. Go to the airport- There is something I love about the airport. It isn't the 13 dollar sandwiches or the endless line and utter disdain for anything that could be misconstrued as terrorist toys, it's the people. There is no better place for people watching. All walks of life scuttle about with hurry in their step. Lovers say goodbye, families bid farewell, and momentous returns are witnessed. Human emotion is at its finest and most public display. Plus duh, you can magically fly through the air at rapid speeds to anywhere you want.

12. Recognize the majesty of nature- Maybe I am getting soft in my old age, but sometimes I cannot help but gaze off into the beauty of the mountain ranges that encircle the valley I live in. Sometimes life is so hectic and disruptive that it is helpful and cathartic to stop and realize the symmetry and poeticism of the earth we have been blessed to live upon.

13. Become obsessed with something(s)- Quit concerning yourself with what other people think and chase your passions, like you are a starving animal hunting the last piece of meat on the planet. It matters not what your obsession is. It does not need to be wholly altruistic or philanthropic as long as it doesn't hurt yourself or others.

14. Tell a good friend an old secret- We all have a person we tell everything to. No subject is taboo, and no confession is met with judgment. Yet there often remains corners of our souls we wish not to expose. Every once and a while it is a good idea to tell a true friend something you have never told them before. You will feel lighter, and they will feel loved for having heard it.

15. Kiss someone fiercely- Perhaps you have a significant other, or maybe just a terrible crush. Or maybe you are wandering around just hoping someone will notice you. Either way it is important and essential to your happiness to kiss and be kissed. But not just a cordial peck. A mighty, body tingling kiss is sometimes enough to send us in a tailspin of happiness. So seek those lips that change the way you think.

16. Forgive someone- We frequently forgive people in our heads. Maybe we were wronged years ago, and we decided to just get over it and move on. Or maybe someone close to us recently betrayed us. No matter the incident, it is difficult to seek out someone you are angry with and try to not only make peace, but tell them you forgive them. They were probably in the wrong. But who cares? How much more of your life will you waste in not forgetting the past?

17. Eat carbohydrates- I am just saying, don't take the diets so serious. Bread is delicious. If you need to run an extra mile to feel good about eating a sandwich then do it.

18. Write things down- There will come a sad day when things of your past are harder to remember, a day when names are unrecalled and details are blurred. There will also come a day when you are no longer here, and your memory will be suspended by what you leave behind. Are your only traces of the best scribbled in some ratty journal you had to keep for 10th grade English? If not just for yourself, write things down for those who love you and will one day wish they had just one more sentence to read about your life.

19. Stop thinking your life is a tragedy- No matter what you have been through it doesn't help to go through life with a self-constructed gray cloud over your head. Brighter days are ahead, and complaining about the past will not help.

20. Prioritize your life- Take a moment every now and then and evaluate what is truly a priority in your life. Is spending time with family as important as finishing your Netflix series? Is a promotion at work as important as seeing your son score his first touchdown? Is sleep more important than finishing a painting that you put your blood and toil into? It is easier said than done, but sometimes a step back, a moment of introspection is all that is needed.



I am trying to not simply list obvious virtues and forgettable cliches as some sort of secret recipe for happiness. But most things we have heard before, in some capacity, we just need to hear again, and maybe in a different voice. So please share with those that might need to hear a new voice. And let me know which ones you loved, and what you would add to the list.