I know most of complain about our daily grind of life in general but it all can't be bad can it? There has to be something you look forward to, or something that makes you happy.
There are a whole bunch of little things that make me happy, like having a delicious supper ready for me when I get home from a hard day, sleeping on freshly washed sheets, or getting a phone call from a good friend I haven't talked to in a long time, or getting more on my paycheck than I thought I was getting.
Good things that happen to us are enjoyable but what can you do to make yourself happy? I had to think about this for a while and I realized that I feel pretty good when I am the direct cause for making someone else happy. Sometimes in the morning when I get my daily dose of caffeine from the local coffee shop drive thru, I pay for the person behind me, mainly because I'm in a generally good mood, and I know it makes their day a little bit brighter, but I also like knowing that I am the direct cause for it. I know it makes them happy because it makes me happy when it happens to me.
There are things that we do that fool ourselves into thinking we are making ourselves happy but in reality it doesn't. I like ice cream, but if I eat a whole pail of it, its not going to make me feel happy, if I don't get sick first I know that all that ice cream is not going to do my body any favors and I'm not going to enjoy buying a new pair of jeans three sizes larger than I'm used to, or to look down and wonder why I can't see my toes.
I find that you can't make yourself happy all the time, and the reason for that is, if it happens all the time you start taking it for granted and it no longer becomes enjoyable. That's why having random acts of happiness from outside sources is needed. I do believe it is possible to be happy everyday, it all depends on how you look at the world, take criticism, and not let the little things bother you and, you have to learn how to laugh at yourself.
I was tightening a rope the other day and the rope snapped causing me to punch myself in the face, I had a pretty good laugh because I almost knocked myself out. I thought jeez, I sure wouldn't want to fight me, I'm pretty tough. I used to get mad when this sort of thing happened but lately I find myself laughing more than getting angry.
Go out there and enjoy yourself
Scott Goerz
