10 Happy Things
Jan. 20th, 2023 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deemoyzaDid this meme over on Tumblr, and thought it would be nice to share here, too. Finally, something positive on this blog! XD
1. Chocolate. I just love the stuff! While I can definitely appreciate finer chocolates, I'm also just as happy with a Hershey's bar or some M&Ms. I especially love Lindt truffles, Ritter Sport bars, and Terry's chocolate oranges (I can only find the oranges around Christmastime, so I made sure to stock up!).
2. Stationery supplies. I wish I could explain why things like notebooks and pens make me so happy, but it's always just been that way, even when I was little. I would go to the supermarket with my mom and immediately make a beeline for the stationery aisle, rather than the toy aisle, and to this day, I can while away an hour (or more!) just wandering around Office Depot. Maybe it's the sense of latent creativity in these objects; they are the tools through which I can express myself, and bring my ideas into the world. And sometimes, they just look really cool. I do have the unfortunate tendency to hoard my prettier notebooks for some unspecified higher purpose, though, and I need to get over that—I'm running out of room for new ones!
3. Revisiting favorite stories. There's comfort in the familiar, and I eat that up! Whether a book, a movie/show, or a video game, reliving a favorite story with characters I like is like reminiscing with an old friend: "Remember when I did that?" or "I can't believe I was so worried for nothing!" My favorite stories become a part of me, and remembering why they made me happy or inspired or awestruck helps me reconnect with myself.
4. Long drives with the music blaring. And singing along until my voice gives out! There's a certain sense of freedom in being able to crank up the volume and just go. I love to sing, but I can't carry a tune to save my life, so long drives are an opportunity to indulge the part of me that, apparently, has always secretly wanted to be a pop star. ;)
5. Playing around with fashion and makeup. I am by no means a fashionista, and I know very, very little about the industry's history and trends, but that doesn't stop me from putting together fun outfits, and finding a makeup look to match. I've always had a tendency toward the dramatic, and I love playing out different personas with different styles. In fact, sometimes that can be incredibly helpful—say, acting more professional when I dress so, or feeling more fun and friendly when I wear something silly—in managing my social anxiety and navigating different social situations.
6. Live entertainment. Concerts are at the top of this list, but I also enjoy catching the occasional touring Broadway production, variety show, or anything by Cirque du Soleil and its ilk. Last month, I was able to attend two of the three current Vegas shows produced by Spiegelworld, and I had a blast! While those shows definitely aren't for everyone—they run entirely on raunchy humor—the acts were amazing and the atmosphere was electric.
7. Unusual museums/galleries. I enjoy a straightforward museum very well, but there's something to be said for museums dedicated to niche subjects. Not only do I get to learn about things I don't have much info on already (and maybe hadn't even really considered before), but these museums and galleries are often also an extra peek at the communities they serve. They can be sobering or fun or just plain weird, but I always leave them with some interesting new trivia, and new avenues of curiosity and research to explore.
8. Quiet spaces. The library, a nearly-empty café, or even the laundromat early in the morning. Places where I have the space to breathe, and to think. The world is so fast-paced, and so many concerns come at all of us so quickly, it's nice to just sit with myself and let my mind wander, or find the space I need to concentrate on a project. And sometimes, just to let my ears remember what silence feels like.
9. The outdoors. This is pretty closely related to the one above, but differs in that the quiet found in places outside of the city isn't total silence, but a lovely combination of life carrying on all around me. I love hiking along a trail and listening to my boots on the gravel, or keeping an ear out for bird calls and searching the trees for the little songsters. Or watching small animals scurry and eat and just enjoy the sunshine. It's restorative, and really makes me feel glad to be alive and part of this bustling world.
10. Animals! While I am definitely a Cat Person, I really love most animals out there. And even those I don't exactly love (sorry reptiles, I have an irrational fear of you!), I do respect and admire, albeit from afar. Whether in the wild or as pets doing silly things, or just being warm companions, animals are heartwarming. And there's something special when I catch them going about their lives in ways that often go unnoticed—watching a hummingbird build her nest and raise her young, for example—that makes me feel lucky to have seen it, and honored to share this space with them.
1. Chocolate. I just love the stuff! While I can definitely appreciate finer chocolates, I'm also just as happy with a Hershey's bar or some M&Ms. I especially love Lindt truffles, Ritter Sport bars, and Terry's chocolate oranges (I can only find the oranges around Christmastime, so I made sure to stock up!).
2. Stationery supplies. I wish I could explain why things like notebooks and pens make me so happy, but it's always just been that way, even when I was little. I would go to the supermarket with my mom and immediately make a beeline for the stationery aisle, rather than the toy aisle, and to this day, I can while away an hour (or more!) just wandering around Office Depot. Maybe it's the sense of latent creativity in these objects; they are the tools through which I can express myself, and bring my ideas into the world. And sometimes, they just look really cool. I do have the unfortunate tendency to hoard my prettier notebooks for some unspecified higher purpose, though, and I need to get over that—I'm running out of room for new ones!
3. Revisiting favorite stories. There's comfort in the familiar, and I eat that up! Whether a book, a movie/show, or a video game, reliving a favorite story with characters I like is like reminiscing with an old friend: "Remember when I did that?" or "I can't believe I was so worried for nothing!" My favorite stories become a part of me, and remembering why they made me happy or inspired or awestruck helps me reconnect with myself.
4. Long drives with the music blaring. And singing along until my voice gives out! There's a certain sense of freedom in being able to crank up the volume and just go. I love to sing, but I can't carry a tune to save my life, so long drives are an opportunity to indulge the part of me that, apparently, has always secretly wanted to be a pop star. ;)
5. Playing around with fashion and makeup. I am by no means a fashionista, and I know very, very little about the industry's history and trends, but that doesn't stop me from putting together fun outfits, and finding a makeup look to match. I've always had a tendency toward the dramatic, and I love playing out different personas with different styles. In fact, sometimes that can be incredibly helpful—say, acting more professional when I dress so, or feeling more fun and friendly when I wear something silly—in managing my social anxiety and navigating different social situations.
6. Live entertainment. Concerts are at the top of this list, but I also enjoy catching the occasional touring Broadway production, variety show, or anything by Cirque du Soleil and its ilk. Last month, I was able to attend two of the three current Vegas shows produced by Spiegelworld, and I had a blast! While those shows definitely aren't for everyone—they run entirely on raunchy humor—the acts were amazing and the atmosphere was electric.
7. Unusual museums/galleries. I enjoy a straightforward museum very well, but there's something to be said for museums dedicated to niche subjects. Not only do I get to learn about things I don't have much info on already (and maybe hadn't even really considered before), but these museums and galleries are often also an extra peek at the communities they serve. They can be sobering or fun or just plain weird, but I always leave them with some interesting new trivia, and new avenues of curiosity and research to explore.
8. Quiet spaces. The library, a nearly-empty café, or even the laundromat early in the morning. Places where I have the space to breathe, and to think. The world is so fast-paced, and so many concerns come at all of us so quickly, it's nice to just sit with myself and let my mind wander, or find the space I need to concentrate on a project. And sometimes, just to let my ears remember what silence feels like.
9. The outdoors. This is pretty closely related to the one above, but differs in that the quiet found in places outside of the city isn't total silence, but a lovely combination of life carrying on all around me. I love hiking along a trail and listening to my boots on the gravel, or keeping an ear out for bird calls and searching the trees for the little songsters. Or watching small animals scurry and eat and just enjoy the sunshine. It's restorative, and really makes me feel glad to be alive and part of this bustling world.
10. Animals! While I am definitely a Cat Person, I really love most animals out there. And even those I don't exactly love (sorry reptiles, I have an irrational fear of you!), I do respect and admire, albeit from afar. Whether in the wild or as pets doing silly things, or just being warm companions, animals are heartwarming. And there's something special when I catch them going about their lives in ways that often go unnoticed—watching a hummingbird build her nest and raise her young, for example—that makes me feel lucky to have seen it, and honored to share this space with them.
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Date: 2023-01-21 08:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-21 08:45 am (UTC)