Happiness

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." -James Oppenheim

For a long time I felt that life was just completely awful. Everything sucked and it would never get better... Serious depression, and a bit of what every teenager goes through. I guess I was sorta a late bloomer too, and that made me awkward in social situations. I was shy and could never seem to get the right things said... and I guess I was pretty negligent when it came to how I dressed, I was a dreamer who spent way too much time in my own little fantasy land...

"Those who gave thee a body, furnished it with weakness; but He who gave thee Soul, armed thee with resolution. Employ it, and thou art wise; be wise and thou art happy." - Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC), Egyptian king

So I guess after I graduated high school I started to grow up. I realized that I had to quit being self pitiful and get hold of myself. Several experiences and just a more broad and open view of the world has made me come to the realization that no one feels as fulfilled as they think they "should" be. I find that the people who are most *truly* content are those who have a better view of their own self, of their mortality.. their humanity.. their tiny place in the world.. and do the best to life with all that. So I've striven to be someone like this. Enjoy the people, things, feelings in my life that I encounter everyday.

"No man is happy who does not think himself so." -Publilius Syrus

I am not going to say, by any far stretch of the imagination that I know the way to surpreme happiness. I'm not even sure I'm on the right track. One thing I am sure about however, is that you should always be yourself, I hid my true self for years, being shy, conforming to what people wanted, and I found that that sad, ghostly shadow of myself was unneeded, people love you more if you are yourself. On the whole, taking a new view on life, I am no longer sad to the point of depression constantly, and I have a much better view of myself, my friends, and the world around me.

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." -Judy Garland

a list of things that make me happy...

hugs

pink drinks

going out to dinner

hazelnut creamer

chocolate

sushi

thunderstorms

power outages

friends

cherry Pepsi

caffeine

sleep

talking about anything with someone I love

fireplaces

hot chocolate

learning new things

music

the look on someone's face when you give them something they *really* want

making even a small difference in a single life

blankets and pillows

stuffed animals

front porch lights

chocolate milk

baths

candles

incense

the Internet

star wars

books

writing.. physical pen on paper writing

collections

sisters

walks

seeing beautiful natural things

camping

penguin mints

good dreams

reading a brand new book

photographs

compliments

getting a real, paper letter

talking with someone from a country you know nothing about

water

snow

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