When I was in second grade, we had to write "Daily Oral Language" entries every morning. This activity required us to respond to a single question. Most of these questions asked us about our life, favorite memories, what we did the past weekend, our family and things as such. I vividly remember one day the question was, "Where is your favorite place?" I didn't have to think twice before I wrote about my aunt and uncle's house in Las Vegas, Nevada. I loved the city (a second grader who loves "Sin City," shocking I know) and I loved visiting my family. I also described their awesome pool in excessive detail, but it was a much simpler time.
Fast forward 11 years, and I am in a yoga class. The class was coming to an end, and the instructor was wrapping up our exercise. We always end class laying on our back with our eyes closed. The instructor guides us in breathing in order to calm our body and mind. During this time, in this particular session, the instructor told us to find our "happy place." This did not come as easily to me as it did in second grade. My mind shuffled through still images of my childhood bedroom, being at the cabin, the beach, the lake, Disneyland and just about anywhere where I hold good memories. I found myself unsatisfied with each image because I couldn't pick just one.
This thought of finding my "happy place" stayed with me after class. I was frustrated with the fact that I didn't have a "happy place." I figured it was because I hadn't experienced enough in my life, and I hadn't gone to places I wanted to go.
After thinking about this for a while, I had an epiphany. I had come to the realization that my "happy place" isn't actually a location; it's more of a state of being. I now understood that my "happy place" travels with me wherever I go. I have found that I am happiest when others are happy. If I can put a smile on someone's face, I am happy. Where I am geographically has nothing to do with my happiness. I could be in the worst place in the world, but if I was with my friends/family and we were all happy, that would be my "happy place."
My happy place will constantly be changing, and I am just fine with that. I find my "happy place" in seeing my cousins get along with each other, driving and singing in the car with friends, eating dinner with my family, laughing with the barista who is making my coffee, receiving a toothless grin from a baby or just laying in bed with my dog on a rainy day. I will never have a definite "happy place," and I don't see any problems with that.
