The Happiness of Daily Delights
At the beginning of July, I was inspired to see what beauty I could find, photograph and post on my Flickr page every day for a year. Few things give me more happiness than taking photos of sights that delight my eye. Why not give myself, I reasoned, the daily gift of time spent with my favorite hobby?
One of the goals of practicing happiness, after all, is to build more positive experiences into your life than negative ones. Even than positive thoughts or words, experiences that uplift you in some way have a lasting impact. Because you actually live them, they leave little traces of happiness inside you. In fact, according to some research, they even impact your DNA, creating happiness patterns in your cellular structure.
Whether that turns out to be the case or not, making sure you include at least one pleasurable experience in your day every day is a wise and enriching way to practice happiness. Two months into my personal photography adventure are proving it to me. Besides delighting in the results, I’m discovering that the time I invest in my hobby pays happiness dividends galore. It centers and refreshes me; it reminds me that I live in a wondrously varied and beautiful world.
Do a little experiment. Make a list of things you enjoy. It could be anything from spending five minutes playing with a pet or with your child, or a fully conscious ten-second long kiss with your mate, to participating in a sport or exercise you enjoy, to cooking a favorite meal or going for a walk. Whatever you find pleasurable is good material for your list. Actually write one out. Then stick it somewhere you can see it easily and make a point of doing at least one item from the list every day.
Morning pleasures launch your day with an upbeat mood. Evening pleasures wrap up the day with joy. And keeping a little log of what pleasurable thing you did every day doubles your pleasure. Try it for a week. Try it for two. Do it for a whole month and it will become a happiness habit you will never want to break. Go ahead! Treat yourself. You deserve it!
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