A Plus Attitudes

Happiness is in the simple things

Happiness is in the simple things and nothing brings me more happiness than sitting outside on a beautiful, sunny, breezy day. It can be anytime of day and it can be pretty much anywhere, but mostly it’s just being and enjoying without having an agenda to stick to or a task at hand.

It is something I look forward to pretty much everyday, since I live in a Four Seasons climate and those sunny, warm days are limited to the non-winter days. Our winter days can last at least a quarter of the year, so I guess this is nature’s way of reminding us that nothing is permanent, and to be grateful and appreciate those special “outside” days.

Maybe that’s why I love beach vacations so much. We are forced to just sit, relax and enjoy our surroundings. We put our cares to the side and just enjoy. But how many of us actually do that when we aren’t on vacation? How many of us allow a few minutes a day to just go outside and sit and relax and just enjoy “being”?

You can do this pretty much anywhere. If you work a 9-5 job, take advantage of your breaks to step outside and take in some fresh air, perhaps a casual stroll, or find a cafe nearby with outdoor seating and just sit and sip, and just enjoy “being”. If you live in an apartment complex, or in an urban environment, find a nearby park to go to where you can sit, and just “be”. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel, and if you do this before your workday, or on a lunch break, your mind will feel clearer and you will feel more relaxed and refreshed for when you return to your office.

I like to sit on my back deck. We have dense woods that fill in nicely in the summer. The trees provide a nice shade and a gentle breeze. I have an umbrella attached to our table on our deck that I raise when the sun is strong. It does a great job of blocking the direct sunlight, so I can enjoy being outside without getting too hot or too much sun. There is an active ecosystem in our woods…birds, deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and these are just the ones that come out in the day. I sit in quiet and just let nature talk to me and caress me with her warm, gentle breeze. It is quite calming and grounding.

Happiness doesn’t come from our possession, although there is nothing wrong with having nice things, it isn’t in how much money we have, although, having money to meet our basic needs is helpful, and happiness isn’t about what we do, or how successful we are; it really is the simple things in life that bring happiness, we just need to take the time to stop, look around us, listen and “be”.