Do Simple, Happy Things

Many times I've heard someone say "All I want is to be happy." When a person is asked about what would make them happy, you'll hear, "Winning the lottery," "Being able to buy a new car," "Getting a bigger house." And the list goes on and on.

Well, there is a very simple way to experience joy and happiness every day. And the more you do, the happier you are.

Do simple, happy things.

When you buy groceries, drop a nonperishable item in the local food bank collection box. It doesn't have to be necessarily food. It can be a box of facial tissues or bathroom tissue; napkins; aluminum foil; a box of resealable plastic bags; liquid or solid soap; laundry detergent. Even though these items are distributed at the food bank, they are purchased with monetary donations since they cannot be bought with food stamps.

Smile at the people you meet through the day. Hug a friend. Donate a book to a school library. Offer to help someone who doesn't have a car by taking them to get some groceries or pick up a prescription or take them to an appointment.

Purchase some small gift certificates for ice cream cones and give them to children. Or give your child's teacher a gift certificate for a hamburger or milkshake as a way to say thank you for their dedication to their profession.

Give your doctor's nurse a card expressing your appreciation for the care they give you.

Call a friend you've been out of touch with. Or send a friend a card telling them you miss seeing them or talking with them.

Is there a fundraiser being organized? Offer to help set up tables and chairs or sell tickets to it or help clean up the facility where it's held.

Know of a co-worker who is ill with the flu or a cold? They'd most likely appreciate a pot of soup and some dinner rolls.

A sure way to see surprise on a person's face is buy a small bouquet of carnations and hand them out one by one at random to people you see throughout the day, whether it's a woman or a man.

If you do just one, simple, happy thing a day, you'll soon find yourself having a better day and before long you may even do two or three a day because you yourself have become a much happier person.