Understanding your own happiness is important. Knowing what has made you happy in the past can help you steer your life toward similar experiences in the future. Often, though, there is a disparity in what we think will make us happy and what actually does.
What puts the biggest smile on your face? What makes you the happiest?
Related questions: What makes you the unhappiest? Is happiness the most important purpose in life? Why do we put up with unhappiness? Why don’t we know what makes us happy?
Here are some things that make me happiest. I love:
– Traveling with my wife. Ever the planner, months in advance she’s mapped out plenty of options for us to soak in our destinations’ sites, restaurants, and coffeehouses while staying at a wonderful Airbnb.
– Spending time in my heirloom garden. Either harvesting produce or pictures, I can see, smell, hear, touch, and taste the world in a unique sensory way.
– Going to concerts. I love singing with the crowd and feeling at one with complete strangers.
– Walks with my wife to and from work. We have some of our most meaningful — and for me, at times, therapeutic — conversations.
– The comfort of a warm pup in my lap.
One thing I’ve noticed recently, at work and at home, is how much pleasure I take in revising writing–mine and others. I love finding the change that takes an awkward sentence, paragraph or narrative and makes it work. I’ve been surprised how happy it makes me. (Yes, I’m weird.)
I love the revising process as well. And I have a lot of revising I must do to my own work. Seems I have a talent for the awkward sentence.
Here, in no particular order, are what make me the happiest:
Vegetable gardening – Whether I am perusing seed catalogs, nurturing seedlings, pulling weeds or harvesting heirloom produce, my garden is where I find peace and satisfaction.
Spending time with my husband – No matter what we are doing, I am happiest being in my husband’s company.
Cooking delicious meals for others – I love cooking for others. Few things make me happier than filling peoples bellies with good, homemade food.
Great list, Cecily. What do you like to cook most?
Well, I like to bake and I’m particularly good at yeast breads. My family really likes me to make my various soup recipes over the winter. I’m all about the grill in the summer, usually local seafood and veggies from the garden
What makes me happiest is a sence of inner peace. When I know all is well in “my world”. Which is not a very big place I might add.
Of late my world is full of uncertainty and disquititude.
So I`ll settle with a warm blanket, my cat “Hope” in my lap, and a restfull nap. Knowing tomorrow will hold new posibilities.
That for now… has to make me happy!
A cat named, Hope? That’s awesome! “Knowing tomorrow will hold new possibilities.” That’s also awesome. Knowing what you’ve been going through lately, Cori … you are an inspiration.
Lee Urton
The Minnesota Vikings winning today’s playoff game in the last 10 seconds with all the odds against them!! Perhaps a more thoughtful reply will follow later, but right now that is it!
I’m happiest when I remember that God knows me and loves me, and I’m able to pass that love on to others.
Years ago, my Mom told me “I just want you to be happy.” At that time I thought I knew better. Turns out she was right.
Beauty, either natural or created. I can be stressed on a bus home after a long day at work, and a stunning sunset through the window will lift my mood. If I’m feeling truly low, I will go to a museum or a gallery to marvel at the beauty humans can create.