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| Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash |
In the whirlwind that was November, I failed to mention a milestone: Catching Happiness’ 16th anniversary! Sixteen years is an odd milestone to highlight, but last year’s 15th anniversary came and went unnoticed because I was so completely immersed in both hurricane cleanup and moving/selling our house.
During the past 16 years and 3,000+ posts, I’ve experienced and shared many highs and lows, simple pleasures and everyday adventures, and I’ve learned a ton about happiness in general, as well as what makes me personally happy. In my very first post, I wrote: “What I hope to do is add a little to the world’s store of positive things: information, beauty, entertainment… I’ll try to balance posts that will help you get to know me, with posts that (hopefully) help you learn something new, make you smile or say, ‘I didn’t know that.’”
Through all these years, my purpose has never changed, and I’m proud of the body of work stored on the pages of Catching Happiness.
So in no particular order, here are 16 things I’ve learned
from studying and writing about happiness (click links to see posts I’ve written related to these lessons):
1. It’s OK to be happy…even if others aren’t.
2. Sometimes happiness doesn’t “feel” happy.
3. Single-mindedly pursuing feeling happy isn’t the goal. That
can actually make you unhappy.
4. Despite number 3, there are things you can do to make it more likely you’ll be happy. You can set yourself up for a better chance at happiness.
5. You can get better at happiness by practicing.
6. Happiness is individual—what makes you happy might not make
me happy, and vice versa.
7. You can simultaneously experience happiness and [insert
negative emotion, such as grief, anger, and so on]. Two things can be true.
8. The goal isn’t to avoid negative emotions at all costs, but
to provide a foundation of happiness that supports you through hard times.
9. Making others happy makes you happy. Making yourself happy
makes others happy.
10. We don’t have enough fun.
11. Experiencing deep sadness can expand your capacity for
happiness.
12. The most important factor for happiness is cultivating good
relationships.
13. The term “happiness” encompasses a number of definitions and nuances.
14. You don’t have to pursue
extraordinary experiences to feel happy—much happiness comes from the simple
and ordinary.
15. Sometimes, happiness is a choice.
16. Happiness sometimes involves forgetting and letting go.
A lot has changed in my life since I started Catching Happiness, but I still love thinking and learning about ways to live a happier, more satisfying life—and sharing what I find with you. Big thanks to all of you who spend your precious time with me—I appreciate your comments more than you know!
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