What makes me happy?

I was asked what made me happy. At first, things come to my mind and I don't write them down, thinking that I'll remember them later when I write down what makes me happy. So here I am, sitting here at 2:15 in the morning, thinking hard about what makes me happy in life.

It seems like I lead a good life. I have a wonderful family. I have friends that people would die to have. I'm getting my education and I have too many jobs. I've been blessed with a life that some people can't have.

So why is it that I can't think of what makes me happy?

Hm. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I can't think of what makes me happy because I'm not really looking for it at all. I always remember what used to make me happy and not what makes me happy in the present.

So herein lies my problem. I'm stuck in a place in my mind that subconsciously makes me think about things that used to make me happy in life and not what truly makes me happy right now.

Don't get me wrong, there are things that still make me happy from my past, and some of those things will always make me happy, no matter where I'm at with life. Things like books or imagination or inspiration. Or writing. It makes me happy to sit here and write. Combining things that make me happy always helps too. For example, I could write books using my imagination and create inspiration in the process.

But what makes me happy right now? What makes me happy in the present...?

-Pens make me happy. Being able to feel the ink glide from the tip of a pen and onto a surface makes me smile.

-Notes make me happy, whether they're sticky-notes or just me writing notes down for things that I feel like I should remember. (They get me by.)

-Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" makes me happy. Everything in that small, yet powerful and captivating piece of literature hits every spot inside of me that I want it to hit.

-Coloring pictures make me happy. This is good because it also relieves a ton of stress and it helps me to focus on something else that the important things in life.

-My pen-pal from West Virginia makes me happy.

-Drawings and scribbles on papers and in notepads make me happy. Seeing how someone's mind unfolds through art is soothing, somehow.

-Working makes me happy. I know this sounds weird, and most people don't enjoy working, but I honestly feel like working gives me a sense of productivity. I like being productive and getting things done. Most of the time, at least.

-Relaxing and unwinding from a long day makes me happy. It's more of a relief kind of thing for me, because sometimes it's hard to just concentrate on not concentrating any longer. (It makes sense to me.)

-Pictures make me happy. Next to my desk is a cork board with a few of my favorite pictures on it. The reason why I have this is for when I'm sitting here, working on something or whatever may be the case, and I look over to see all of these faces looking back at me with their unexplainable, incredible smiles. Something about this kind of thing makes me happy, mostly because I know that some of the smiles I may never see again for the rest of my life, and to have a piece of history from a human being, taken from the period in their life where they were smiling (even if it's fake) makes me feel appreciative and privileged to have it right next to me.

-Things that are life-changing make me happy. I just finished a book called "A Long Way Gone," which is about a young boy who has his family taken from him and his childhood torn from him in an instant, and he is forced to join the army at such a young age to fight a war that he shouldn't have ever had to fight. He is forced to see things that people his age, or any age for that matter, shouldn't ever have to see. The story is basically how things developed for him and how he led his life pre and post-war; how he learns to forgive himself for everything and grow from his experience. It's books like these that make me believe that anything is possible in life if you just hold on when times get tough. It's life-changing and refreshing.

- Discovering things that I didn't know existed makes me happy, mostly because my mind becomes more open to new things and ideas on it's own. I don't have to force anything because I see it with my own two eyes and I learn about it as it happens.

-Did I mention that pens make me happy?

-Going home to see the expressions on my family's face when they see mine makes me happy. There is nothing better than seeing your 88-year-old grandmother's face light up when you walk into the room. Nothing.

-Knowing that I've made a lasting impression on some people in my life thus far makes me happy. Making a difference in the world has been a lifelong goal of mine since I started thinking for myself. Even if it's only one person, it's still changing the world in my eyes.

So you see, here are some things that make me happy. It's not everything that make me happy. I'm sure that sometime I'll find other things that make me happy. I'll call this a "running list" since it's something that will undoubtedly change soon. I know it'll change because things change with time. Things that used to make me happy may not anymore 5 months from now. I'll find other things that'll make me happy and I'll add them to this list. Even if they don't make me happy anymore, I'll keep them up there because I know that I'll want to always remember everything that has made me happy in life.


Knowing that the life that I live today will shape the life that I live tomorrow has been something that has propelled me to keep writing, even if the ink is starting to run dry in my pen. I'll find another pen, and I'll open my book to a new chapter- a fresh, blank page that's just waiting for me to write my story in it. I'll continue to write because these words continue to make all of the difference in my heart.



-To you, you know who you are. Thank you for motivating me to write this piece. This is something that I'd thought about before but I had never really put any action or motivating into. This has given me a new perspective on things in my life and I have you to thank.

So thank you.