Pure Joy

My mom was visiting me a while ago and she introduced me to this absolutely wonderful magazine called Bella Grace. It is full of different articles talking about life. This specific issue I read was issue 16. If I'm being honest, there was not one thing I did not enjoy about this magazine. I read every single word of it. Reading some of the articles really made me sit and think. In issue 16, they got a list together called "175 Tiny Things That Give Us Big Feelings." So, of course, I made my own list. I really had to sit and think, "What makes me truly happy and or gives me big feelings?"

For example:
Have you ever felt the pages of a book or a really well made magazine and you're just like "Oh my gosh, these pages feel so good!!"? Well for me, I had never exactly thought about that until I sat down and made my list. One of the things on that list is the way the Bella Grace pages feel. It is such a well made magazine and feeling the pages (as weird as that may sound) give me a sense of pure joy.

Something that I recently learned is the fact that you can make yourself happy. True happiness has to come from within yourself. One of my favorite quotes that I found while reading Bella Grace was "So plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers" -Jorge Luis Borges. Can your partner put a smile on your face by bringing you flowers? Hell yeah! But don't rely on them to make you truly happy. This world is tough and you've got to take the time to make yourself smile. I'm not saying go take a long and expensive vacation in Bora Bora but think about what genuinely makes you smile, even the tiniest of things that put a smile on that gorgeous/handsome face of yours.

So often, we get caught up in the craziness of life. Whether that be working 40+ hours at a job we hate, taking care of 3 precious kids, trying our hardest to get fit, or even trying to juggle all of that at once. Sometimes, people feel like they don't get a chance to just breathe and be happy. The article I read in Bella Grace had some awesome things that made people happy. Some of them, I thought to myself, "Wow! I never thought about that, heck yeah that makes me happy!" When I took the time to really think about it, I actually learned some things about myself.

Here are some of the things on my list:
1. The ocean.
I mentioned this in my first blog and I'll mention it again. The ocean just puts my mind at ease. Maybe for you it's the mountains, the desert, an open field, or even just simply your home. Think about where you feel happiest and when you're feeling like you want to pull your hair out, go to your happy place in your head.

2. Having the windows open and the curtains wafting in the breeze.
Oh my gosh y'all! Having my windows open on a really nice day brings me an abundance of joy. Let alone having the windows open and the curtains catching that breeze; to me, that is SO relaxing.

3. Feeling water run through my fingers.
Can y'all tell I love the water? Seriously though, the world stops when I feel water run through my fingers.

4. The smell of fresh brewing coffee.
I have coffee almost every morning and when I smell that coffee brewing, it gets me excited for my day. For me, it's like "Okay, I can do this!"

5. Thunderstorms.
Being completely honest here.. I have literally squealed when I have heard that first clap of thunder right before a storm. Am I crazy? Maybe. Some people relate thunderstorms with negative things. I relate thunderstorms to a clean slate. I love the sound of rain. I love the smell of rain. I love the sound of thunder. To me, it's all just incredibly relaxing. To my husband and me, stormy weather is the perfect "cuddle and watch movies together" weather.

These are only 5 of the things that make me happy and have big feelings. Now, I ask you, what are some of the things that make YOU happy and give YOU big feelings? I would love to know! Feel free to leave a comment with a few things that make you smile.