As I promised in this post about why keeping a gratitude journal can have a big impact on your life, today I am sharing with you my own "happiness inventory", a very special list I have been putting together in the last two years while counting my blessings and the small and big things in life I am genuinely thankful for.
On the bad days, it is something useful to read, and expanding it on the good days it is a blast.
In my opinion, there is no better reality check tool than this, when I sometimes forget how wonderful and meaningful life can be. And how lucky I am.
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.
On the bad days, it is something useful to read, and expanding it on the good days it is a blast.
In my opinion, there is no better reality check tool than this, when I sometimes forget how wonderful and meaningful life can be. And how lucky I am.
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.
John Foster Dulles [1888-1959]
[Happiness is made of...
having blue hair and feeling great about it
Pic: Me, August 2016 © Radoslaw Kosiada]
I hope it will inspire you to create your own inventory and to expand it every day with new experiences and treasured moments.
Happiness is made of...
Accountability, active listening, inspiring advice from someone I can learn something from, A-ha moments, authenticity, being myself, body art, the body of someone I am in love with, botanical gardens, breaking and following the rules, the right chemistry, chocolate and bullet-proof hot chocolate, choices, coaching, collecting “Le petit Prince”, honest compliments, courage, cuddling, every kind of dance style (bachata, ballroom, charleston, flamenco, reggae, salsa, swing, techno...), daring with my own personal look, daydreaming, decluttering, discovering enlightening quotes,
[Good quality chocolate and hot chocolate, anyone?]
falling in love and going all in for it, feeling home, flirting in my mother tongue or in a foreign language, going with the flow, freedom, getting a special gift, hot ginger tea in winter, exciting goals, green smoothies, growth, hand-written letters and notes, having purple or indigo or blue or... mermaid hair, hearing the same song over and over again,
[Sometimes, the best things in life
are the ones you would never expect. Like...
getting mermaid hair and loving it.
unforgettable kisses, keeping the word I give day in and day out, lavender fields, learning something new, gluten-free licorice, living in Berlin, living without regrets, love, making mistakes, making people happy, fantastic massages, marzipan, meeting someone for the first time and feeling immediately home, precious memories that changed me for good,
unexpected messages from someone I care about, special pancakes made just for me, priceless moments, Monoï oil, cool movies, nonviolent communication, the magic of the ocean, openness, Oxytocin, peace of mind, crunchy peanut butter, practicing Bikram yoga, my perfume, phone calls with someone that knows me very well, playing with words and languages, yummy polenta prepared by me, playing pool and feeling cool while doing so,
passion and hot glances, homemade salty (and only salty!) popcorns, postcards from places I always wanted to visit, 36 questions when the time is fleeting, rainy days when I can stay at home and enjoy hygge, reading useful books, real friends, meaningful relationships,
resilience, respect, responsibility, The Rocky Horror Show in a theater and The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the movies, the beauty of the sea, seeing every day as a present to be thankful for, self-awareness, self-control, self-empowerment, self-respect, the silence of the night, Skype chats with friends living far away from me, the innocent smile of my nieces and nephews,
serendipity, helping people with SFBT, slices of farinata, someone important waiting for me outside for a wonderful evening together, spending a weekend in bed with a good book or the right company, having my own personal ideas about steampunk elegance, sunlight and wearing sunscreen, pleasant surprises, swimming, interesting talks with charming people,
tattoos, perfect cups of tea, time with my cat Kim Novak, travels, trust, underpromising & overdelivering as a way of life, scent of vanilla, visiting museums, voices I will never forget, vulnerability, waking up with a smile after a beautiful dream, walks by night or in a park, watching my favorite movies again and again (hello, When Harry Met Sally... and so many others!), wearing purple, winks that say more than too many sentences, nice words about my name and its meaning, hard work, writing & blogging.
How about you?
What does happiness mean to you?
Tags: Happiness, Gratefulness, Gratitude journaling, Quotes, Happiness list, Happiness inventory, Positive attitude, Positive psychology, Self-awareness
What to read next:
Seven powerful quotes that can help you to embrace change, to love serendipity and to transform a bad day into a better one
Visiting the blog for the first time? Aloha!
Where to start, if you are new
What to read next:
Seven powerful quotes that can help you to embrace change, to love serendipity and to transform a bad day into a better one
Visiting the blog for the first time? Aloha!
Where to start, if you are new
