Happiness is...

Okay, I was admittedly quite crabby when I was typing my previous post. I'm feeling a little better now, but I'm still not 100% perky. I'm hoping that focusing on the things that make me happy will help bring me back to a truly joyful state of mind. Here goes...

Happiness (for me anyway) is...

1) feeling inspired

2) a clean house (especially when I'm not the one doing the cleaning!)

3) certain smells, such as cinnamon, fresh-baked bread, fresh-cut grass, my favorite Yankee candles, vanilla, baby powder, my husband's cologne.

4) a rare date night with my husband that doesn't include a couple hundred of our closest military friends. No offense to our military friends, but sometimes a girl just wants her hubby all to herself... no shop talk and no sitting across the table from one another making conversation impossible.

5) going to the movies. Popcorn is an added bonus and necessary to enjoy the whole movie experience.

6) online shopping. It's necessary here and I seriously don't know what I'd do without it.

7) gift giving. I love selecting the perfect gift for someone. I would much rather give than receive.

8) surprises. I love being surprised and even more, I love surprising others. It doesn't have to be a major thing either. The surprise can be a bouquet of flowers "just because" or something yummy made at home.

9) receiving mail, both snail mail (Cards, especially handmade ones, and handwritten notes are such wonderful pick-me-ups and are seemingly a dying art) and email (I prefer a personal email to a forwarded one).

10 when people take the time to "clean up" forwarded emails before sending them my way. I so appreciate that!

11) redneck jokes. What can I say? They're part of my heritage.

12) comfort food. I enjoy them a little too much, but sitting down to a good meal made up of my favorite foods is heavenly.

13) coffee with either one good friend or a group of girlfriends.

14) clothes that fit. This one's a huge challenge for me on many levels. Since I want to keep my happy vibe going, I'm not going to elaborate and risk losing it.

15) thoughtfulness.

16) inclusive people.

17) music of all kinds. I'm at my happiest when I'm listening to music that speaks to me.

18) motivation, followed by productivity.

19) creativity. I try to surround myself with creative folks so that I can steal their ideas. I do, however, always give credit where credit is due.

20) curling up with a good book.

21) decorating my house for different occasions. Just wish I had more time.

22) any time spent with people whose company I enjoy.

23) the kids having no homework on the weekends.

24) understanding my 7th grade son's algebra. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I feel like a million bucks.

25) feeling comfortable in my own skin. I'm not always there, but when I am, it's the greatest feeling!

26) when my kids say or do something incredibly thoughtful all on their own, with no prodding or suggestion from my hubby or me.

27) the privilege of being a parent.

28) the knowledge that God loves me, even when I'm a loser.

29) living my life with the men I love... even though I sometimes complain about moving, separations and trials. I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else or with anyone else.

30) knowing I have all I truly ever want or need, and then some. I'm very blessed.

I could go on with my list of things that make me happy, but 30 seemed like a good number at which to stop. Making this list was surprisingly quick and easy, and it was nice to focus on the positive, which isn't a great revelation for me, and probably not for you either. Everyone knows that focusing on the positive can change one's perspective and outlook. I sometimes forget that and need to be reminded. No worries... I'm in my happy place right now. I hope you are too.