We hear it time and time again: "indulge in the simple joys life has to offer." We shout it from the mountaintops, but we forget to practice this mantra in our own lives. “It's the little things," we say.

But it's easy to forget what some of those simple joys entail. We post artsy graphics of such quotes from our smartphones that cost hundreds of dollars. We sigh because our picture doesn't get enough likes.

We lose sight of such simple joys.

I'm all about the “little things." They are everywhere, letting off a little light into our lives if we're willing to welcome it in.

So what is a “simple joy?"

It's staying up late to watch a movie with your friends, while your neighbors are throwing a banger, music somewhat muffled but still bleeding into your apartment, utterly content with how relaxed you are in this moment.

It's jumping into the frigidly cold waters of a glassy lake, with little recognition of how ridiculous you might look.

It's the first crack of thunder after ominous clouds have loomed thick in the sky for what seems like forever or the aesthetic of a rainbow bowl of fruit loops before you've poured in the milk from a carton covered in condensation.

Joy can be found in scribbling on the first page of an empty notebook with a brand new pen, knowing that someday that notebook will be filled with the contents currently swirling around your brain.

Or grabbing lunch with someone you haven't seen in a while, conversation flowing effortlessly from where you left off the last time.

It's going to the grocery store and buying yourself a simple treat. Even if to you, that treat is veggie burgers and a bunch of bright yellow bananas. But most of the time it's two pints of Ben and Jerry's — your classic favorite, and a flavor you've always wanted to try.

You find the joy sometimes when you're not expecting it.

When a stranger compliments your outfit or pays ahead, you feel inclined to give the world a little bit of your happy. When you give the world your happy, your mood increases exponentially.

It's found in laughter, the kind where you just know your whole body will be warm and a little achy. Happiness is hearing someone you love laugh so hard their eyes tear up and the creases of their smile start to hurt.

It's found it in the chorus of more than a hundred people singing slow songs at night gathered in an old building, connected by a shared purpose.

Or when an impromptu dance party breaks out, the speakers are blaring and not a single person can resist the music. There's magic in forgetting about the rest of the world if even for a second to be exactly who you want.

There's beauty in coming to the realization you have found friends that are supportive of your passions even if it means you might have to spend some time away from them — the friends who understand while you're away you still love them immensely.

There's something incredibly exciting in watching your friends discover their passions and their purpose, even if it means you sometimes have to do it from afar.

There's even a simple sweetness in missing someone, in pondering your next interaction, in reflecting on past warm memories.

There's so much joy in genuine human connection. Conversations that seamlessly go beyond small talk in a matter of minutes outrank shallow gossip any day.

Beyond that, you can be amazed every day by seemingly mundane things if you open your mind.

I'm amused by putting creamer in my coffee and stirring it with a shiny clean spoon.

I'm amazed by the way the sky is painted every night, as the sun sets in an orange glow.

My happiness skyrockets when I see a dog on the street and increases tenfold when their owners let me pet them.

Some have called me "too happy," but I assume that's just jealousy showing itself in the form of an insult.

Sure, being easily amused may make it easy to label me simple.

But if being simple means you can find a bit of beauty every day, then call me simple.

I may find my purpose among intellectual endeavors, but I find my happiness in what lies before me, and I am better for it.