50 Things That Me Happy: Part One

1. The endless feeling when you reach at the top of a hill
2. Music - Classical, Ed Sheeran, anything with a good beat
3. Family- Immediate, extended, friends that feel like family, and those that have gone before.
4. And the stories they write.
5. Smiles - Anyone, when they smile is beautiful and it makes me feel close to this world. It is not broken yet, is it?
6. Memories - Just the thought that I have lived longer than this moment, this moment is precious, and will continue to live past the here and now!
7. Children - When they play, whether with me or not, and basically any other time. For, as I leave childhood, that is all they know, mud, dirt, friends, family, recess, school, and bright colors.
8. Books - Any kind really, a thought provoking title, freshly printed, in a bookstore. Worn, maybe a little old looking in a library.
9. Reading- Any book as long as they do not have a hopeless view. That is just depressing. Especially thought provoking text. Anything new, a new author, bestseller, and continuous flow of ideas. Anything that makes you feel equally nostalgic, excited, and content.
10. Brothers- They just make you feel good about life. They are weird and fun and seem to always have new ideas and things to do. They are endlessly curious, which makes me even more curious.
11. Boys- They just seem to understand in a way that girls could never know. They often know exactly what to say to simplify the craziness in my mind. Not to mention, they are way simple in comparison to girls and rarely cause drama.
12. Friends - They are just the ones to laugh your head off with! At just about anything. Or you all just laugh at something stupid and then wonder why.
13. Church- I always feel so full when I leave. My soul is empty as I enter, and as church goes by, I just fill full of light, love and forgiveness. It is indescribable the joy I feel, around those who believe as I do and will help me all I can. It is beautiful.
14. Curly Hair- It is just so unique. Anyone with that frizzy, gorgeous, crazy hair! YES! Love it!
15. Typing- Because it means I am saying something that I care about, that I want the world to hear, even if just for a moment before they scroll on.
16. Photography... The ability to capture whatever you want and any way that you want. It literally freezes a moment. Unlike a video, you can see it for so long. Analyze the colors, the texture, the faces, the environment, the glow of light, or the lack of it.
17. Light- Something that is not always present, but something that you know is always in your life. Something that we do not always have. Something, that when present should be captured, drank in, and remembered. It makes everyone look lovely. It makes me feel closer to God, whether it is physical light from the sun, or spiritual light from God. It repairs the broken parts of my soul, and puts a smile on my face. It allows one to stop in the moment, reevaluate, and see the abounding goodness in other people.
18. Heavenly Father, God, The Big Man Upstairs
19. Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and Miracles
20. Dogs - Young ones, old ones, and especially the ones I run with.
21. Running- Outside, on a fresh crisp morning, or a chilly night. Or a cold rainy morning when you wonder why you left the house in less than a down coat.
22. Love- Both romantic love, and the kind that you feel when someone is down and you just embrace them as if to say, "I will always be here and you can get through this."
23. Feeling - Both the kind you get from nerves in your body, and the kind that make you smile, cry, scream, or speak.
24. Wind - Even when it's cold and hazy and you wish it would leave. It is a feeling that we rarely recognize as beautiful, but it is.
25. Color - It is true what they say, life without color would be so much less fun and amazing. I would gladly lose sight if not for color, and sound, if not for classical music.
26. Talent - Because I believe it is something God gives to each of us in different ways, beautiful.
27. Writing- The realest way to express how you feel.
28. Doctors- 1. because I want to be one 2. Because if you get the right one, they usually can figure out what is wrong. 3. Because watching an operation or a needle poke is one of the coolest things you will ever see!
29. Bodies - Because a lot of things can go wrong, but the majority of society and the world have bodies that work, even if their minds are a bit more of a challenge. Simply that the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and muscular system all work together without fail. That the body operates with minor issues, for the majority of the world population, for the majority of their lives.
30. The mind- Because a lot can go wrong, but for most they usually work well up until age sixty, or longer. Honestly a miracle, and beyond fascinating to study. That each hemisphere works independent of the other and they combine as an infant grows. By the age of say thirty, one can drive, speak, write, learn, understand, compile, and think critically without really thinking at all. Something you learn, as you go about life and your career of choice teaches how to do so.
31. Dreams - Both imagining your wildest dreams and pursuing the ones you had awhile ago.
32. Fresh air through a window on a spring day.
33. Rain - It feels fresh, clean, clear, and freeing.
34. Sunshine- Because vitamin D is good for your health and also feels so good! Not to mention, it gives one a strong feeling of strength, ability, and freedom.
35. Inspiring people. Not the kind that overcome obstacles and become famous, but the ones that continue to work because they know that their is much work to be done. They continuously pursue their dreams, and because they believe it and persevere, they make it. Life has meaning because they were willing to take a risk and pursue a beautiful dream, despite obstacles. They feel it is their calling and they tirelessly pursue, knowing they have yet to fill the need for it in the world.
36. Blogging - It is a freeing platform because so few read it. Unlike journaling, it allows me to put my thoughts out for someone to read besides myself.
37. Water, because anytime I drink it I can feel so free and able to conquer the world. It literally helps the body to function, as it is between seventy-five, and eighty percent water. The brain is also surrounded by water, followed by the skull, muscle, and skin.
38. Road trips, nothing says free quite like ten hours in the car on the open road.
39. Business- Something overlooked by most, but for the entrepreneur, it is a lifestyle that they love.
40. Magazines about things. It doesn't matter what about, but they give you a glimpse into what a certain time period felt like and what was happening at the time, what the body does and how it works, or even a specific topic and view one wants to learn more about.
41. Joyous people- Their joy and light just bounces off of them and you wonder when you last smiled so big. They have magnetic personalities, they seem to know that life is a beautiful challenge, that we can all appreciate.
42. Being alone - As odd as it sounds, it is very comforting to just sit alone somewhere comfortable and get to know yourself or to read and write, to study, to learn, to create, to run, to sew, to eat, to cook, to bake, to climb, to color, and to conjugate. I miss french class.
43. Scriptures, something about the spirit they bring, the joy one feels as questions are answered, and the comfort they bring in a dark world.
44. Quotes - because somehow they inspire me in a way nothing else can. To find the depth in them, the meaning, and the wisdom. The fact that someone crafted that and edited it, like I often do. That they wrote meaning more than just on a page, but something they know will inspire others for hundreds of years to come.
45. Old people. They have more wisdom than most other people. They have this calm, loving quality that makes you feel okay about life and the direction you are going. That it will all work out in the end. This feeling that slows down your life and helps you get your priorities straight. They allow you to see the big perspective, all this petty stuff will not matter, to you or anyone else. It will become pages on an old chapter of your life, that you can tell others about both for laughter and wisdom as you take that position yourself, and begin to inspire others.
46. Mark Twain, because the words he spoke ring true as many authors words do. That they spoke the truth about the time they live in. That the era they know, whether childhood, youth, adolescence, adulthood, or age, is kept forever on the manuscripts they wrote and the words and lessons they speak in words that will never die, because they wrote these words, published them, and continued to write more.
47. Tree climbing, because what screams adventure like hoisting yourself up to the branch of a tree and climbing to the top, finding you are safer than you think. That this is a view often only children and plane pilots see. Not so much that you are a child still, but that you feel like one!
48. Showers - Because of how new you feel when you get out. Body has been cleansed, thoughts recognized, and an outfit one wants to wear is waiting.
49. Trips with family - Though sometimes hard and boring, they often end on a good note, as a closer family, and stronger inside jokes. An adventure you embark on, hoping you brought everything you need, all the writing to read, and paper to fill. That the car will last the whole way, and that the family will have a good time and find joy in the journey from home; to the destination, while there, and on the way home, when you know how close you are, how long it will be, and how antsy you have become.
50. Sunrise, because everything feels so open ended, fresh, free, clear, and bright. Not to mention it is gorgeous to watch.