When I wrote my book, LIFEGUARD, I explored many things to learn more about myself. The first thing that I dove into was the notion of happiness. I just wanted to be happy, but I didn’t know what that even meant. Happy. Hmmm…
Don’t we all hope to find happiness in life? In the workbook section of LIFEGUARD, it’s your turn to discover what makes you happy. I know that every season of life is different. Some seasons seem to overflow with rainbows and sprinkles while others have those dark clouds that never seem to go away.
The first question that I ask readers to examine goes like this:
Close your eyes and take a trip back to your childhood. What made you happy as a kid? Maybe there’s a smell, such as the scent of honeysuckle or peppermint, that takes you back with a smile. Perhaps you had a pet or a hobby that gave you a sense of happiness. What made “Little Kid You” happy?
When I think about my own childhood, there are so many happy memories. My mother’s famous chocolate chip cookies. Playing hide-and-seek or tag with friends in the neighborhood. Tennis lessons from my dad. Watching TV as a family on Sunday evenings while sharing huge bowls of popcorn. The hot pink peppermint lozenges that my brothers and I would sneak from the glass jar on our grandmother’s mantle. Staying out late on summer nights to identify the constellations. Walking with my grandfather to the store where he let me choose candy and a Slim Jim to eat on the way back.
When I looked for happiness from my childhood, it was easy to find. I know that I’m fortunate. Not everyone has happy memories of childhood. I’m a teacher, so I have heard horrendous stories from kids who don’t even understand what a happy childhood means.
I hope those kids keep searching, though. I hope that they keep reaching for happiness. It’s there. We have to look for it, sometimes. We also have to allow a feeling of happiness. Invest in it. Wallow in it. Enjoy it!
As an adult, I find that allowing myself to FEEL happiness is trickier. It seemed so simple as a child. It’s probably still simple. It’s still there.
Take today, for example. I spent the day with one of my kids. My teenager wanted to hang out with me! She asked if we could go out for breakfast together after a workout. We also wandered through a few stores. We organized some of her new school supplies. We laughed. We sang along to country songs and some rap. We spent time together. Happiness. Simple!
What about you? What made you happy as a little kid? What makes you happy now?
Want to explore more questions from LIFEGUARD? Order your copy from Amazon by clicking HERE!
sharing the stairs 