What makes you happy?

I have been thinking on this lately, what really makes a person happy?  I have a friend, that no matter what she has before her, it seems like she just can't be happy with it.  It isn't good enough for her.  She wants more, different, better, and I just don't know how to help this friend.  I know that she is not alone in this.  The world of full of people who are looking for the thing that will make them happy.  Nothing is ever good enough.

I have found that I am happy with my life and who I am. I honestly can say that I don't care if I have more or

Be happy with whatever road you are traveling!

different, or better.  Those are just things, and things can't make me happy.  If you are one of those kind of people who always want something different, or more, or better, then I have some sorry news for you, I don't think you will ever be satisfied.  I honestly don't know if there is that peace to be found.  Perhaps I am wrong, but happiness is a choice.  It isn't made by having something different.  It isn't made even by someone.  It really is a choice to be happy with who we are.

I have found that being with my grandkids and my own kids makes me happy.  Family is where it is all at.  I hurt for people who do not have family, who for

Grandkids are the best!

whatever reasons haven't had family, either by their own choosing, or not.  Either way, it must be painful, and I hurt for them.  My own little family, we are very close, and that is what life is all about.  Family.  What a crazy, distorted, twisted world we live in, where people are so messed up that they don't put family first.  I am afraid it will be the undoing of us.

Doing what I am supposed to do makes me happy.  I am a Christian, and I believe that doing what we are put here on earth to do, makes us happy.  We can choose to whine our way through it, or we can choose to make the best of situations that we don't necessarily like.  Again, it is a choice.  We all have callings to fulfill in life, we all have jobs to do, and obligations to meet.  Meet them all with a smile, a for real smile, and it will make the difference to whether you are happy or miserable.  We don't have time to waste being miserable.  Make it right!

Writing makes me happy.  I was going through a tough time a while back.  I was finding that I was struggling with being happy at some times.  Finances would get me down, being too busy would get me down, and feeling sorry for myself would just make it worse.  I decided to start another blog, this one in fact, because I wanted to remember why I should be happy, and how I could get there again.  I also started several other blogs shortly after, because I found that writing is a great release, and it not only helped me, but others out there listened.  They listened and mentioned to me that I had helped them too.  Now, I don't write for others, for the most part, I write because I love to do it.  And if in the process it helps someone else, then all the better.  Maybe if you need a release, you could start a blog and write.  Help yourself and help others.  In helping others, is often when we find our true selves and become the happiest we can be.

Memories and Atwood's Front Porch Banner

Memories make me happy. I am big on making happy memories.  I believe when we die and move onto the next life, we only can take with us what is in our noggins - our knowledge and memories.  I also believe that our memories are what get us through the tough times here.  Making happy memories, top of my priority list.

I am creating a little place of Zen in my backyard right now.  I love creeks, and the sound and looks of water

Not my back yard - I wish - but beautiful

trickling over the rocks.  It brings back memories to me that are so peaceful and calming.  I will be posting it in the next few days as I get close to having it done.  I love it.  We all need to have that little place where we can go and escape the stresses and craziness.  Often when I am out there, I purposely will leave the phones in the house and not answer them, because it is my zone of happiness and peace.  I know it might seem silly to some, but to me, it is what works.  Xander, 2 years - almost 3 - was helping us build the river / creek the other day, and it is so fun to make those memories with him. 

So what is it that makes you happy? Do you have a place where you can escape to? And I am not meaning a bar or someplace like that, but a place that really brings peace to your soul.  Maybe it could be a place like your garage, your craft room, a special park, your parents home, your church building, or a field that you like to walk in.  It doesn't really matter where it is.  If you don't have one, then what would your special place be, and how can you create it.  Can you make it happen for the sake of your sanity? 

I don't care if you are rich, poor, famous, or not.  It doesn't matter if you think you have the perfect life, or even if everyone else thinks you have the perfect life, you still need to figure out what makes you happy and hold onto that, because the world tries really hard to suck it away from you.  Stress, anxiety, depression, are all very real diseases and are rampant in the world today and they are no respecters of persons.  Meaning they don't care who you are, they will attack you and rip your life apart.

Find what makes you happy. 

What makes you happy?  Really deep down happy?  Find it and hold on tight to it, and don't ever let anyone steal it away from you.