Since Sunday was the International Day of Happiness, which I was reminded of through Snapchat (thank goodness for Snapchat), I thought about all of the different things that made me happy. In this world, happiness is sometimes hard to find. What makes us happy? What does it mean to be happy? Then, as most people know the popular phrase “it’s not about the big things, it’s about the little things," I’ve decided to think about all the little things that make me happy in life.

Waking up

What? Waking up? What’s so good about waking up? Normally, I would wake up thinking about all the different things that I have to get done, all the assignments I need to do, the different appointments I have that day, but recently, I’ve been waking up earlier to just lie in bed for five more minutes and stare outside my window. I love looking at the sunlight and seeing the sun rays descend upon the mountains. The way the sun strikes the building, cascading different shadows amongst the ground, alongside each other. It’s truly a great sight to see the first thing in the morning, and it makes me happy to see nature play amongst its playground.

Talking to an Old Friend

It makes me truly happy to talk to someone who I haven’t talked to in a while. Getting messages from friends who I don't often see makes me feel joyful because it allows me to connect with different people from both my past and my present. Getting a text message from a friend from high school asking how I’m doing is one of my favorite moments. High school me and college me are completely different from one another and when the college me is feeling down, I always like to talk to someone who knew me in high school to make me feel better.

Reading Quotes

I love quotes. Honestly, I have Pinterest to plan my wedding, look at clothes I can’t afford, and to read quotes. I love reading quotes because I can relate myself to them, I understand them. I can see how I relate to people from the 18^th century or the 21^st century. I love how the language has changed over the centuries and how the language differs truly fascinates me. Shakespeare’s language is completely different than Gandhi’s. If I’m having a bad day, I love to read quotes so I don’t feel like I’m completely alone. It’s like my therapy; reading different quotes or poems cleanse me of my sorrow and allows me to relate to a complete stranger.

Nature Walks

Nothing makes me feel more at peace than taking a walk alone in one of the neighborhoods around my college. It makes me feel at home and a part of me feels like I’m at home because my hometown is filled with neighborhoods and cul-de-sacs scattered around. I love feeling the small breeze in my hair and the sun shining down on my skin. The way my shoe crunches along the gravel when I walk on a street or how my arms swing loosely at my side. I’m happiest when I’m one with nature because there’s nothing that can disturb me. I put my phone away, making sure not to look at any technology. I love the freedom of walking, nothing stopping me, traveling at my own pace, just me and the wind.

There are many more things that make me feel content. Driving, having a lazy day, hanging out with friends, a lot of small things make me happy. But everyone finds their own happiness. Everyone’s happiness is different and we cannot define our own happiness on someone else’s. What makes me happy might not make my next door neighbor happy. This international day of happiness should be used to really understand what makes you happy. Because you deserve everything you want and because life is too short to be anything but happy.