“we all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” ~anne frank
“happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ~gandhi
hi! i hope you all are having a great week so far 🙂
so, i just came across a project that i did a few years ago and thought i’d share it with you guys! basically, i had to describe what happiness is to me. just a simple list…no rules. it could be anything and everything. i did add some things, seeing as my life has changed quite a bit in the last five years (i’m married and have an awesome puppy), but most of the things are still the same. i also want to encourage you to make a list of your own! it’s a cool little exercise. i think for one of my next projects, i’m going to try and capture as many of these things as possible and do a collage of the images. anyone wanna join me?
speaking of, just a quick side note…i am wanting to do a Strangers Project in the LA area and i’m looking for people that might be interested in joining me?? Sachin Khona did one in London last year, and it really inspired me to do one here in LA! so email me if you are interested 🙂
alright, here’s my list (in no particular order)…
happiness is…
- knowing you’re exactly where you should be at any given time in your life
- contagious
- sitting with someone and not having to say anything…just being
- listening to music while driving in the car
- watching my little brother and sister grow up into such amazing people
- a chai tea latte
- having a starbucks with my dad
- talking to my mom
- having one-on-one time with any of my friends or family
- cuddling with my puppy
- getting a card from a friend…just because
- being hugged
- knowing someone thinks you’re beautiful…when you are in sweats and have no makeup on
- having someone tell you that you’re beautiful
- taking pictures in a photo booth
- long walks
- capturing beautiful moments
- capturing ordinary moments
- traveling…seeing new things
- sharing the things you love with the person you love
- eating dessert
- having lunch/dinner/coffee with a friend you don’t get to see very often
- watching a good movie
- getting mail…bills don’t count 🙂
- watching a sunset
- walking on the beach
- pursuing a dream
- accomplishing a goal
- doing something you’re afraid of…and loving it!
- jumping out of a perfectly good plane
- the feeling you get when you’re excited to see someone
- vegging at home on the weekend
- knowing you always have a place to call home
- being alone from time to time
- taking a nap
- being able to help somebody else
- singing silly pop songs with my brother or sister when we’re driving together
- falling in love
- laughing so hard your face and stomach hurt
- writing…blogs, songs, poems, whatever
- taking a bubble bath
- playing with the animals in a pet store – even though i inevitably end up crying every time!
- reading a good book
- lying in bed while listening to the rain outside
- better yet, playing in the rain
- even better, jumping in puddles with my puppy…yes we do that 🙂
- warm clothes right out of the dryer
- being able to laugh at yourself
- buying new shoes…or clothes…the excitement lasts a little while at least
- being with family during the holidays
- laughing for absolutely no reason at all
- waking up and realizing you still have more time left to sleep
- going on vacation
- a clean house
- new camera gear
- having someone play with my hair
- curling up next to a fireplace in the winter…even though we don’t really have those here 🙂 i like to pretend…
- going on a road trip
- swinging on swings
- doing anything that makes me feel like a kid again…sometimes i forget i was one
- watching your friends get married and have kids
- going to concerts
- cooking dinner with my hubby
- washing dishes with my hubby…while Chandler makes sure they’re super clean as we put them in the dishwasher
- being married to my best friend & the love of my life
- holding hands
- reuniting with old friends
- making new friends
- watching my favorite TV shows
- being my own boss
- watching the sunrise
- knowing someone looks up to you
- knowing that someone misses you
- finding new music that you love
- knowing you’ve done the right thing, regardless of what other people think
i’m sure there are others, but i think that’s a pretty solid start! if you make a list, share it 🙂 i’d love to see it!
book recommendation: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
xoxo
jess