Which isn't to say, perversely, that happiness can't also be pretty easy, too. If we're willing to pay a little bit of attention to the things that surround us. It's a common enough trope, and one that gets a lot of undeserved lip, I feel.
"Oh, simple things make me happy."
...always somehow gets pelted with poverty and illness and misfortune, and all those other bad things that are, within the human spectrum, a given. And yet, what we seldom stop and consider is, it's extremely easy to be sad, too. There's an unevenness here. We'll let these random, small things put us in a bad mood the whole day, and yet expect grandiose events and offerings for a smile. How skewed is that? And why should you live like this?
In response to the wonderful Minimalist and Thoughtful initiative, I'm taking a look through my phone gallery. And find, as I go, I have a damn lot of things to be happy about. Here's some from the past few days, alone.
(today)
I keep being quietly astounded at the weather disparity. Judging by temperature, it could easily be summer (and I'm glad!), but no one seems to have told the trees that, because they're doing all these wonderful, fall colors, and acting all late October-y.
Which creates an excellent combination. On the one hand, you've got peak, inviting weather for long walks and time outdoors, and on the other, you get this perfect autumn aesthetic.
According to color psychology, yellow is the happiest color you can get, while also being attention-grabbing (why you see a lot of yellow ad signs), yet friendly. While some can register yellow as quite aggressive, it's definitely a cheerier color than, say, red, and perhaps even green. Personally, I'd take yellow any day.
And it's such a relief and a mood boost to step out, even briefly, and be surrounded by yellow trees everywhere. Even a short walk can do wonders for how you're feeling, in this scenery, which given the rise of remote, and all this self-imposed isolation that abounds, I feel is really important. Not only are you out there, exposing yourself to yummy sunlight, you're also getting a visual spectacle.
(today)
Temporary tattoos used to be the singular, coolest thing you could get your hands on when I was a kid. They came in croissant packs at the store, and made you look (and feel) like such a complete badass.
When you grow up, you don't have that much to do with temporary ink anymore. You may get a fancy henna tattoo thing at a festival, or failing that, if you're really into the idea, you'll as like get a proper tattoo, thus bypassing the time-sensitive joy of these beauties.
I got a whole bunch of small, temporary designs (3 to 5 days, only) at the tattoo convention this weekend, and am loving them. I applied this one only this morning, and I love how it kinda looks like a sunrise, from certain angles. I love the linear design, too. And most of all, the little, innocent thrill of wetting a piece of paper over your skin, and getting to feel like a badass five-year-old again.
(last monday)
I took this one because of the light sort of falling nicely through the window while I worked, but honestly, any of number of things here that I bypass as mundane could be considered fucking awesome.
I was working on the second book in my series (on to the third one now), so the fact that we get random stories in our heads, and get to tell them out through pen or charcoal or lens is simply fucking astonishing.
Internet is pretty damn cool, too. Just the fact that you get to log online and tell strangers of a similar mind-space about the things you like -- that's kinda nice.
(today)
another one that could be a bunch of things, really. The candle that fills the room with the smell of chocolate and oranges is organic, and doesn't let out all those nasty chemical shits that other candles do. Plus, it's made by a friend who does cool handmade things, so that's amazing.
You've got coffee. It seems to be a recurring theme in what makes me happy, on the day to day.
And the pumpkin - I'm not actually that much of a pumpkin person, but I got these because I like Halloween. And since I don't like produce going to waste, I'll probably end up doing something with the pumpkin itself. Dunno what yet, but that's another thing to be happy about. Mornings when you can wake up, and be lazy, and buzz about in the kitchen, cooking something nice 'cause you feel like it. That's not a half bad way to start the day. I made hummus yesterday.
Even that warrants an honorary mention on this list -- the ability to make yummy things, that are healthy and filling and nurture your body, that's an insane skill. And gift. Anything could be a gift, if we weren't so hellbent on noticing the curses. True Sleeping Beauty-style, we always focus on the one fairy that brought the curse, never the dozens others that brought nice, helpful things to aid the princess.
(saturday)
Coffee?! Again?!
Well, not actually. That cup had milk in it, not coffee, for a start, and besides that wasn't the point of the photo. Rather, it was saying here's this cool place we've never been before that exists, and is nice, and is, for this morning only, the perfect place to be in.
I love that. Finding places that I didn't know about before, and finding coffee shops and ice cream places (as this one was) that are quiet and have nature, that's an instant win for me.
So, the Minimalist and ThoughtfulDailyPost contest thingy asked to take five striking pictures of things in your day-to-day that make you happy. I don't know if these are striking. Their existence is. The photographic quality, not so much, but that's okay, too. Not everything has to be Insta-worthy.
I reckon this sort of exercise should be performed at least once a week, to wrap up, maybe, the seven days previous. Because when I sat down to write this, I was thinking mostly of negative things. Things that go poorly. Things that happen to or around you that maybe you wish hadn't happened. And then, I did this, and I think now, look at all the wonderful things I felt were worth photographing during the past nine days or so, alone. Look at all the things that brought me happiness, even if momentary.
All the things I risk letting go by uncounted, just because it's so much easier to dwell on the bad.
The contest's theme is simplicity, yet I think finding happiness in these small, simple things is the farthest thing from that. Finding sorrow, that's simple. But this, this constant, wonderful, taxing exercise doesn't come natural, which is all the more reason to keep practising.
So thank you to @millycf1976 and @grindan for making me think different for a little while. <3
What's behind your smile? :)
Mine (for now) are:
1. Beds of leaves.
2. Flowers that kinda look like a sunrise.
3. Light that hugs you when you don't feel huggable.
4. Pumpkins. Things that smell nice without trying to kill you.
5. Secret gardens.
P.S.: Not that the above aren't mega-bangers, but all photos in this post are by yours truly.