I sat in the cafe of a book store, sipping an iced mocha and perusing the conversation-piece selection – Would You Rather..? A Bazillion Places to See Before You Die, etc. I was bored and glancing around hopeful for something interesting on my ticking lunch break when my eyes fell upon 14,000 Things to Be Happy About. *Ding!* I’m happy to be an optimist and so happiness itself makes me happy. It’s okay – I know it’s cheesy. The idea that a list like this existed was already a bit of sunshine for me. I grabbed the book off the end-cap and flipped to the middle with enthusiasm; but much to my surprise, I was unimpressed.
The list enumerated items like “chick peas” and “hot weather.” Gross.
“Dog dishes that say ‘Good Dog,'” not my gig.
“Making faces at monkeys in the zoo.” I like polar bears.
The idea was great but the book itself was irrelevant because it wasn’t my list. These 14,000 things made someone else happy, but contained just a few immediate thrills for me.
So I made my own. 🙂
I started my Happy List in the summer of 2004 and I’m proud to say that with a few periods of picking it up and putting it back down, I’m up to nearly 900 items. Some of them are general like flowers, while others must be specific to capture the fullness of simple bliss (pulling into the driveway the very second a good song on the radio ends or going to bed in fresh sheets). Still others are more personal like the moment my son and I first saw each other or falling in love with Andrew. Originally I wanted my list to be free of repeats, but I found that to be impossible because I don’t remember everything I’ve written. Plus I’ve found the added benefits of repeated happy things is that my list has become a journal of sorts; and though each item takes up just 1/4 of a notebook line, I remember the context of most of them, if not all.
I’ve been working on my list more regularly lately, but it’s a pretty casual thing. With no pressure to meet a certain number, my goal is to delight in life itself. When I’m on Cloud 9, it takes me higher and when the day is gray it brightens it at least a little bit regardless if I’m adding things or reading back through them. It’s good to relish in the little things and to appreciate God’s sweet attention to detail.
This reminds me of the book ‘One Thousand Gifts’ by Ann Voskamp. I haven’t gotten to read it yet, but it’s high on my list. I do, however, follow her blog ‘A Holy Experience’ – and she has amazing reflections. She also does something called a ‘Joy Dare’. Everything she does is about seeing and being thankful for the blessing and gifts each and every day. If you would be interested in more information, I can certainly pass it on. I’ve really found a bit of inspiration from her.
THANK YOU for telling me a/b her blog! I love the tag for it: “Because there are burning bushes everywhere.” So good and so true. Her blog is sharp and I’ll be checking out her book!