It has been an… interesting? … year so far. What is going on to the south of us here in Canada is beyond weird- every day makes me feel more and more like I’m living in the world portrayed in the movie Idiocracy. Coming off an end of 2024 that saw the passing of two of our loved ones, it has been a bit much.
But February and March have also been a couple of months wherein my wife and I started to think about fun things we want to have and do in our retirement. We have plans! And some of those plans are actually in progress!
And then I saw a post over on Lou Plummer’s blog that listed the things that make him happy, and that is a bit of inspiration to add to my energy reserve. So what’s on my happiness list?
Things that make me (Kelly Adams) happy
This isn’t a complete list of everything that makes me happy: I’m certain to be missing a multitude of sources of joy. But these items appeared without difficulty over the course of a few minutes of pondering.
- when our dog Finn rests his big goofy head on my knee and asks for a pat
- getting one of our cat Iris’ extra-deluxe head bonks
- sitting with a coffee on our deck on a sunny morning… especially when Irene is there too
- looking at our mountains when the sky is blue
- seeing the stars and our neighbouring planets overhead on a clear night
- taking an afternoon nap
- riding my motorcycle on a nice day
- setting out on a motorcycle road trip for several days… or longer
- holding Irene’s hand when we sit next to each other
- writing a blog post and then seeing someone else notice it
- getting an extra long hug with Irene
- getting lost in the world of a good video game
- reading… even ‘doom scrolling’, but preferably books or articles just for fun
- thinking and assembling complex thoughts
- solving problems like correcting some errant computer code, fixing a recalcitrant computer, or successfully getting a new part installed on my motorbike
- enjoying food, even if it isn’t good for me
- sharing a hug with one of my friends or family members- even if hugging still unsettles me a bit
- talking about nothing in particular with one of my friends or family
- getting a lick from our cat Corbie, giving Pie’s belly a good rub, or receiving a drooly cuddle from Samira
Think happy thoughts
Life can often seem to be too much, too dark, too unforgiving. My life-long battle with depression and its close confidant anxiety means that it is easier for me than most people to go down a very unpleasant rabbit hole. Add in a time in history that seems intent on causing society to implode any moment and it can sometimes feel overwhelming.
I can’t silence the bad things, and I need to bring my thoughts to such sources of negativity on a regular basis to remain rational. But creating this little list, along with my regular practice of writing a few similar items in my little gratitude book, has made me feel a bit better.
Hopefully a practice like this can translate into something helpful for people who might stumble across this post.
