Happiness is...

So yeah, my last post wasn't the pinnacle of positive. Heck, it wasn't even close. I know that. But I also know that I am not in a good head space right now, or as my mom said, I am in "a dark place." I don't know if I would go as far to call it "a dark place," but it certainly isn't a light one. I know reading that post made some people uncomfortable, but I won't apologize for how I feel or for putting it out there. It was personal, it was embarrassing, it was kind of sad, but it did make me feel a little better. And although my life isn't as I want it to be right now, I know it's not a bad life at all. Time will pass and I will eventually come out of this. And when I do, which will hopefully be sooner than later, I hope to be stronger and happier. 

So with that being said, here is a list of everyday things (and some not-so-everyday treats thrown in there) that make me happy, make me smile, and make me feel grateful. On any given day, I encounter, experience, eat/drink, etc... at least one of these, if not a couple of them, and that's pretty darn great. That fact is not lost on me. So for me, happiness is...

1) A beautiful sunrise in Central Park, along the East or Hudson River (or pretty much anywhere on a run).
2) Walking along the reservoir in Central Park. (This never gets old.)
3) Finding cool street art.
4) Free Juice Press on Saturdays (#willrunforjuice #JuicePress) Okay, okay, even Juice Press when I have to pay for it is pretty darn great.
5) Wearing sweatpants. (Can't I just wear them to work? Please.)
6) Finding a fantastic new show (or one I've seen before) on Netflix and falling into a marathon (Have you not seen the new Aziz Ansari show, Master of None, on there? If not, stop what you're doing and go watch it now.)
7) A Levain Bakery cookie (or even the chocolate chip brioche. So fucking good.)
8) Running at a pace faster than a 9:00 min/mile and sustaining it.
9) SoulCycle.
10) A new Sparkly Soul Headband.
11) Shake Shack.
12) New gym shoes.
13) A trip over the Brooklyn Bridge.
14) Finding a new song and listening to it on repeat.
15) An awesome sunset.
16) A funny poop joke.
17) Finding out Troop Beverly Hills is on TV.
18) Getting my hair braided.
19) Ess-A Bagel.
20) Trying a new fitness class.
21) Booking a flight for vacation.
22) Garlic Mayo.
23) Seeing someone famous on the street.
24) A day off of work.
25) Having the train pull up right after you swipe in.

Okay, so that wasn't too difficult at all to come up with this list. In fact, it was pretty easy. That was just 25 things that make me happy on any given day and they came to me pretty fast. See, life isn't so bad. Although things are really tough for me right now, there is always good in each and every day. Even if it's just a little, it's still there. Trust me, I am well aware of this. I just need to work on focusing more on these things and less on the negative things. Obviously this is easier said than done but with everything going on, it can't hurt right now to direct my attention to the things that bring me happiness; to seek them out and to make them happen more often if I can. I will get better at that and hopefully everything else will start to fall into place a little better. Hopefully. Positive thoughts.