identify 1000 things that make me happy

897. irregularities in flower petals
898. sending postal mail to friends
899. bringing lunch
900. creativity born in adversity
901. connection born of disconnection
902. decay
903. trying to make sense of things
904. an exquisite turn of phrase in an unexpected place
905. writing semi-publicly (i.e. anyone can see it, but un-ascribed authorship)
906. crossing something off my todo list.
907. crossing something off someone else’s todo list before it lands there.

890. flying brightly-colored octopi
891. satisfaction of removing a hang-nail
892. resting after a VERY full weekend.
893. hot tea in the morning.
894. sitting in the discomfort (not trying to run from it or change it or bury it)
895. unearthing the ugly parts of me.
896. improv everywhere’s Frozen Grand Central—I just can’t get enough of this

884. living in alignment w/ my values
885. having someone notice when I’m not
886. a walk near water
887. simply sitting in the same room w/ a dear friend
888. combing the cat & finding no fleas
889. there are internet videos of absolutely EVERYTHING!

883. poignancy of noticing pain & letting it be rather than chasing it off
884. knowing I can just be with you as you make yourself unhappy
885. taking out the compost
886. the smell of pea blossoms in my dreams
887. knowing my body is usually healthy
888. writingBADhaiku
889. they may have discovered a new kind of CLOUD !!
890. napping after a crappy night’s sleep
891. a clean floor (ah!)
892. NOT going to the laundromat!!
893. the END of a long year of classes
894. being ‘ready’ for “IT”
895. walking into the room feeling prepared.
896. accepting things I do that I’m not proud of…

873. answering your call
874. sharing the history
875. letting the path reveal itself
876. staying home.
877. the look of a ‘crossed’ ‘z’
878. really letting myself feel the fear (alive!!)
879. making connections
880. portable sound devices
881. putting down the computers
882. sleep

857. Watching two of my best friends be giddy over each other…
858. I am that I am NOT in that stage of relationship (AMEN!)
859. remembering how much I love poetry.
860. experiencing myself as competent at what I do.
861. experiencing myself as competent at things that I still tell myself I’m no good at (having observations that my self-image is lagging behind who I am today)
862. the turning of a difficult relationship into one that is nourishing
863. sitting with friends in conflict, & helping through unexpected means.
864. having my homework done early.
865. flossing.
866. aikido—it’s too funny how clearly I see my patterns…
867. receiving flowers in appreciation for doing my job.
868. experiencing appreciation ALL around me.
869. ‘sunday cookies’
870. a clean house
871. recycling
872. a really cleansing twisty yoga class… that shoulder roll thing with a clasp YUM (the internet provides no pictures!!)

844. the feel of my short short hair when the sun hits my head
845. the look on other people’s faces when they DON’T like my new haircut, but fear telling me.
846. how much I’m enjoying this new haircut!!
847. understanding the leaky iron
848. hot tea in the morning
849. CHANGE (it happens, loving it!)
850. the opportunities that come forth in ‘crisis’
851. chicken broth
852. clearly seeing in the process of an ordinary day, something about how I move in the world that I just hadn’t landed on before – what I call ‘landing in my metaphors’ – so much more possibility for change if I can SEE it.
853. when I finally ‘get it’
854. the smell of her soap.
855. taking the bus home—it took an hour longer than it would have if I’d had a car, but I never would have seen those neighborhoods, or watched the teenagers mocking the bus driver (seeing my younger self in them) or seen the community bike repair event, or the bright greens of trees, or even worked on my writing the way I did.
856. the squishy sound of wet socks

I was once challenged to write a list of 1,000 things that make me happy.

I did it. There’s nothing to it once you get past like 200. Just sit down and start, one thing will remind you of another. It can be the stupidest little thing that give you a place to start.

For example, the smell of scotch tape makes me happy. One of my favorite things to do is wrap presents. I love unique wrapping paper. I have a thing for stationary. I love writing to the people I love. I love receiving mail from the people I love.

Just let something be a springboard and you’ll find that 1,000 doesn’t seem like enough.

833. waking up to the sound of the ocean
834. sleeping in a bed that’s far too big
835. finding a cool spot in the bed with my feet
836. finishing a good book
837. the way my pulse & breathing slow when I meet a beautiful poem
838. being read to. Selected Shorts is NOW available on podcast!!
839. changing the kitty litter (see #829, I think I’m getting some kind of cleaning bug)
840. indulging in my memories of my vacation.
841. the sound of car tires running through puddles
842. any old ordinary thing done as an offering.
843. just the fantasy of getting my papers under “control”

810. talking to an old friend—it’s ‘normal’ like we saw eachother yesterday.
811. planning for a weekend away
812. being read to
813. turning off the computers
813-a. being kept company by a purring cat. (I’m sure this one is in the list a time or 2 or 3 before. I’m happy in the moment with this, though didn’t want to COUNT it.
814. cleaning the house before going away
815. the smell of freshly mowed grass—I think there’s some wild onions in the mix!
816. the smell of a rainstorm
817. knowing without question that I am loved
818. the way my heart feels & my breath changes when I read an arresting poem
819. neuroscience (just happy for the whole field!—everytime I hear some new discovery, it makes me grin)
820. noticing new habits starting to ‘stick’
821. preparing for company
822. washing someone else’s dishes
823. clean sheets after a shower
824. eating locally
825. cherry turnovers!!
826. getting rid of excess
827. riding my bike in the rain
828. doing something for you even though I’m mad
829. taking out the compost as a form of prayer – I love how it smells, I love the act of turning what is no longer useful to me into something useful – i am fully aware of the cycle of life
830. eating carrots from my garden
830a. did I mention the cat w/ her paws tucked in just so, & her tail curled around, and the soft rumbling happiness? this little being knows how it’s done!
831. hearing unseen birds & following my imagination of what they look like & what they are doing.
832. indulging in my imagination of vacation.