What Makes You Happy???

The other day I realized that making other people happy is the thing that makes me happy. Oddly, the realization made me sad. Of course I find happiness in many things, but nothing beats doing something to make someone else happy. When I’m spending quality time with my husband, I can’t help but think about my son at home. When I’m spending time with my husband and my younger son, I can’t help but wish my older son was with us. When I’m vacationing, I wish my mom and my sister were with me. When I cook something, I give the best looking part to others. When I’m enjoying lunch with friends, I save some for my kids. When I finish a meal at a restaurant, I habitually stack all of the plates, cups, silverware, and napkins, to make things a little easier for the busser or waiter. When I’m shopping, I find myself hanging clothes up that others tossed on the floor (I used to work at Marshall’s Department Store when I was 16). When I’m relaxing, my mind wanders off to thoughts of all of the things I could be doing. When hosting a party, I need to make sure that everyone else is having a good time. When attending a party, I’ve got to help the host…after all, I totally understand what it’s like to organize and tidy up to avoid chaos. I can go on for hours, but I trust that you get the point.


The next thing that I did was to think about things that made me happy that had nothing to do with others. It was such a struggle for me but here’s what I came up with: I love listening to music—all genres, just really good music. I like reading good books. I love eating at good restaurants—I LOVE good food. I enjoy days that I don’t have an itinerary—sometimes it’s good to have nothing to do. I’m not much of a TV watcher, but I like watching HGTV and OWN. I like bubble baths, manicures, pedicures, and massages. I like to sleep on freshly laundered sheets. I like to shop and browse for hours, and I love to laugh.

While random acts of kindness and taking care of those I love will always be a part of my happiness, I have decided that I will spend a little more time making me happy. After all, I’m pretty good at this “happy” thing.

I challenge you to do the same.