DAY 1 of 2018!

As I said back in an earlier post, I'm going to try and attempt this 30-day writing challenge. The whole idea is to get me into the habit of writing on a daily basis for future projects to come to fruition.
So, as I stated in my title, today is DAY ONE!
Let's hope I make it past day 5.

Day One: List 10 things that make you really happy.

This is difficult for me. I spend way too much of my time finding the negative things in my life, that I try not to acknowledge the things that make me happy so that I don't ruin them for myself. Like internally I love that they make me happy, but I don't want the universe to know so that they are not ruined. Yeah, I don't get how my mind works either, but in some weird fashion, it makes sense to me. So I'm a little apprehensive about posting any kind of list because I don't want anything to happen for these things to no longer to make me happy. But here goes.


#1 My family laughing. There is just something warming about hearing all of us laugh, whether it's just my dad or my mom, or my two brothers. When we have a good hard laugh it just makes me smile and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. 

#2 A good song. It's always hard for me to pinpoint my favorite song (THERE ARE SO MANY!). But hearing one of my favorites, or discovering a new favorite... Music used to be the highlight of my life, it was the one identifier that I had for who I was, and I miss every moment of that period of my life. So as bittersweet as it is (and it is, as evidence that this is making me cry) hearing that favorite song, it fills my heart with warmth.

#3 Finishing a book that was too good to put down. There is something just so fun about reading a good book, and that sense of accomplishment when you finish. I've always loved storytelling and getting that chance to spend a few hours (or days, or months) in someone else's world. When you get to the end of a good book, and you take that deep breathe after you finish that last sentence, the emotions that run through you can be anything and everything. That moment, or at least remembering that moment in the future, make me happy. Especially if that book you could not put down.

#4 This scene from La La Land (2016)

I do love me a good cinematic musical. And say what you will about this movie (trust me, everyone already has), there is just something I love about Hollywood movies basically telling a simple love story all while celebrating just how wonderful Hollywood movies are. From the dancing to the singing, and the wonderful score, this scene just makes me smile. 

#5 Walt Disney World. Yeah, I know that most people don't get or care about this place. In fact, that majority of my current co-workers don't seem to get it. But some of my favorite memories happened here (and some of my not so favorite ones). The anticipation of planning and trip, then getting there and trying to squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of your time in the parks and resorts, there is a reason why I've been there over 40 times (not including the 8 months I worked there). It truly is magical, and worth every penny.

#6 The feeling of the sun on my face. I'm from Miami, and if you've ever been to Florida, you know that when the sun's light hits you, it hits you with some heat. I used to picture my skin sizzling like a piece of steak on a grill when the heat of the sun was too much. I also would picture myself getting a tan and no burned (usually would be a tan, rarely would get burned). But now I live in North Carolina, and while yes we do have sun, it is not the same as in Miami. In the summer it is just hot because it is summer. So when you stand in the sun, you can't feel the heat, rarely do you feel the heat So, in those brief moments where I can the sun's heat rays, I am happy.

#7 Going to the Movies. I love the movies, and I love the action of going to the movies. Much like what I said about reading books, movies are just another medium for storytelling, and while it doesn't take as long as reading a book, the 90+ minutes of sitting in a darkened room, watching a whole universe unfold in front of my eyes is something I just love. For those 90+ minutes, I completely forget who I am, forget my troubles, whatever is bothering, forget absolutely everything except for what I am watching. I love every bit of that, and going to the movies if one of my favorite things, because even if the movie is terrible, I am happy.

#8 Being recognized. Now I don't mean by strangers in the street, but in the work that I do. Now this subject is a little touchy because I also hate it. I do not like being thanked for the job that I do. I do my job and I get paid for it, there is no reason to thank me. I am not doing you a favor, I am doing my job. But when I am recognized for doing a great job within my job, then I am happy. I put in a lot of hard work, more than what is required of me, so to be recognized for that, that makes me happy because it makes me feel as though I'm not just another cog in the business (even though I am) and that my hard work is appreciated. But again, not thanked for doing my job, but recognized for how well I do it. And I don't know if you can tell, I get a lot of both.

#9 A completed list. I guess to be more broad it would be that sense of accomplishment. I like to set myself up with many many tasks. Trust me, I'm full of lists that need to be completed, but I love that sense of accomplishment once you finish the said list. Now I don't like that "now what?" feeling I have once that sense of accomplishment has faded, but that breath you take when you think "yeah, I finished", that makes me happy.

#10 

I'm going to leave number 10 empty. That one is only for me and I don't want to share it with the universe for that very reason I stated at the beginning, and also because frankly, I don't know what else makes me happy, or at least I'm going to keep that slot open for everything else that makes me happy. Meaning that for 2018, I'm going to let myself recognize and enjoy that happiness as it comes to me, instead of trying not to acknowledge it and hide.

Well here's to day one, on to tomorrow.