One of the critical things in life is identifying the things that improve your life. I choose to surround myself with things that make me happy. I do not mean to say that I avoid things that make me sad. I deal with those pretty well. What I mean is that I have things all over my house that make me smile when I see them.
It took me a long time to put my finger on this, and implement it, so I’ll share some examples with you.
Image: Rory Bristol
This one is a bit of a no-brainer. I like my plants. They make me feel more alive, and remind me to be present in the moment. If I’m too distracted, or too withdrawn, my plants help me come back into the moment I’m living in.
Image: Rory Bristol
This Hello Kitty tin came from World Market filled with tiny star-shaped candies. I keep my small jewelry in it, because it is small and compact. It also doesn’t rust, and keeps my jewelry safe from the cats. Hello Kitty makes me happy, and it surprises me with cute things, which is the best.
Image: Rory Bristol
This is Minifig Rory. I made him from LEGO minifig parts. He’s got my beard, my unruly hair, and pleasing earth tones. He reminds me that I’m not ugly, because seriously, who can think a minifig version of themselves is ugly? I just use non-logic to apply that to myself. If I look like this minifig, I must be an okay looking guy. He lives in different places around the house, so I see him at different times, in different places.
These things make me smile. They bring me joy. I have some tokens, coins, a rosary, and a Rubik’s Cube which are easy to carry on my person. All of these things make me feel safe, they bring me into the “now”, and they add to my life.
I challenge you to find things that make you feel these things. I challenge you to surround yourself with happiness. It really does work.
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