Today is the U.N. International Day of Happiness. This is the first time I’ve heard of such a celebration, but I’m happy there’s one nevertheless. I first saw it on Instagram earlier today, when someone hash tagged his post, and it made me start thinking of the things that make me happy. Off the top of my head, here are 20 of them:
1. Seeing my children grow in the knowledge of the LORD and being bold enough to share about Jesus to other kids;
2. Receiving a hug, a kiss, or a gift, especially from people close to me;
3. Being with my family and friends, and serving them a delicious meal or desert (and getting compliments for it);
Our color-coded breakfast: pesto pasta, green tea made from dried tea leaves, green apples and kiwis
4. Accomplishing a task (it doesn’t matter if it’s as mundane as cleaning the bathroom);
5. Receiving stuff in the mail, such as post cards, letters, and packages (including things I’ve bought online!);
6. Having enough time to myself during the day to do some of my hobbies, such as reading, writing, taking photos, and trying out new recipes;
Some of my (rescued) books in their temporary bookshelves
7. Being able to stick to my monthly budget, pay off a debt, save something, tithe, and not borrow money from anyone;
8. Reading a good book and/or watching a feel-good/romantic-comedy movie with a huge tub of popcorn in butter flavor;
Serendipity, one of my all-time favorite movies! (Photo from tiffanygramlich.sourceforge.net)
9. Eating a slice of moist dark chocolate cake and some black forest-flavored drink or sweets;
10. Walking in the park and on the beach;
11. Watching the sunset and waking up early enough to see the sunrise;
Watching the sunset with my husband over at Sentosa Bay, Singapore
12. Holding hands with my husband;
13. Traveling and discovering great places to eat;
14. Being able to buy someone a gift that makes the person happy;
15. Learning something new (and getting better at it);
Enrolling in an online course at Bath University.
16. Buying a nice piece of clothing or a very comfortable pair of shoes at a good price;
17. Spending time not only with my husband and daughters, but with my big siblings and Pa, too;
With my big bros and Pa
18. Being mesmerized by fishes in an aquarium;
19. Listening to an uplifting music, sermon, or seminar as well as meeting people who inspire me; and
With Brian Biro, America’s Breakthrough Coach, at one of his seminars in Manila
20. Having the opportunity to serve and/or lead.
What about you? What are the things that make you happy?
P.S. If you’d like happiness to stay with you and sharing it around you to become a habit, you might find the suggestions on the U.N. International Day of Happiness website helpful. You may follow this link: http://www.dayofhappiness.net.
However, if you’d like a deeper kind of happiness, one that would stay with you regardless of the situation, I suggest you start looking up to God, read the Bible, and look for opportunities to serve others. Ciao!
