What makes you happy? Have you thought about that? I don’t mean winning a lottery happy, but everyday little things? Recently a dear friend of mine asked me that question.

I had just gone through an extremely difficult time, experienced a huge loss, as well as significant challenges in many areas of my life, all at the same time. I don’t know about you, but I tend to keep these things to myself. I decided, however, to share with her during one of our regular catch up calls what was really going on in my life at the time, instead of putting on a happy face and positive spin on everything, I spilled the beans.

By the way, it’s perfectly OK to feel down and unhappy, just don’t stay there. Recognize and acknowledge the feelings, feel them, then make a decision to let them go. For sure this is way easier said than done, but the choice really is yours. Focus on the good, be grateful.

So, after pouring my heart out, and sobbing, and sharing with her all the stuff that was and had been going on in my life, she said four little words – what makes you happy?

What? Had she not been listening? I told her that I didn’t know what made me happy, nothing made me happy, everything was going wrong in my life. Then this dear friend, who obviously listens when I speak to her, proceeded to list several things that I had told her in the past that I enjoyed and made me happy. Not one or two things, not big winning the lottery things, but small everyday things that I had shared with her that brought joy to my life.

Things like a sunny day, warm weather, the home where I live, the people in my life, the work that I do, watching old movies, eating potato chips, reading a cozy mystery – nothing big or extraordinary, but all the little things that make me happy.

She pointed out that it was time to shift my focus. So, I started to ask myself several times throughout the day, what makes me happy? I found myself thinking that catching the green light makes me happy, a really good cup of coffee makes me happy, my boots make me happy, a warm coat makes me happy – I’m sure that you get where I’m going with this.

It is so easy to get sucked into the quagmire of negativity. Often, we’re not even aware that we have done so, until someone reminds us, or we have an epiphany and ask ourselves how we got to this negative place. And let’s not forget, what we focus on expands.

After a few days of asking myself several times during the day what makes me happy, I began to shift my focus and simply started to feel joy and gratitude for all the wonderful, simple things that really make me happy. If you think about it, it really is the small stuff that brings the most joy into our lives on a daily basis.

Now it’s time to ask yourself, what makes me happy?

And to my dear friend, I say thank you for reminding me of what is important in life.

Mary Pawlus

Mary Pawlus has been studying personal and business development, and mind/body/spirit health for over 25 years. She has a passion for helping people live a healthy lifestyle by making better choices. Mary’s personal journey has led her to develop personal development and business techniques that anyone can easily incorporate immediately into their lives. She believes that simple steps can create big changes, and help you easily develop a more fulfilling and purposeful life. She is committed to living, and helping others live, their best lives physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

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