Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It’s the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps. ~Sharon Draper
Do you have a place where you feel happy? A place that gives you happy moments? If you knew where such a place is, how often would you make every effort to go there? This would be a place where you would feel loved and worthy and safe and engaged in life. No boredom there. No hard testing. Except, of course, some of us are happiest when faced with challenges that we have to give our all to meet.
I suppose that is why some people feel happy running marathons. That wouldn’t be a happy time for me, but I do love to go walking in the world of nature. So one of my happy places is this creek where I love to go wildflower hunting in the spring. It’s not an easy walk. I have to slip and slide down a steep path to get there, but happy places can be like that. Not always easy to reach just as running those marathons or half marathons the way my daughter does sometimes can’t be easy, but the challenge gives the runner a burst of joyful accomplishment.
Another happy place for me is at my keyboard writing. It’s not always easy to find the right words or the right ideas to start the snowball of story creation rolling. At times the idea can explode and lend itself to a dynamite beginning that maybe writes itself but then somewhere along the story writing way will come some writing doldrums. I usually have a few stretches of doldrums when I’m writing–times when I wonder if I’ll ever finish this story or even if it’s worth finishing. That certainly doesn’t sound like a happy place, does it? Yet I’m only really happy when I’m somewhere in the process of telling a story.
Not that I don’t get happiness from other things. I certainly do. I love my family and I’m crazy about my grandkids. I live on a farm where I can do that nature walking. I even have a dog who is always ready to walk with me. I am blessed with a life chock full of happy possibilities.
I got started on this idea of where to find happiness from a Sunday bulletin. In the printed material on the back the writer asks, “Where is a good place to find happiness?” And he suggests we might answer “the church.” I do find happiness at the little country church I attend. I hope you expect to find that inner happiness so necessary to your well being at your church too. But I also know a good place for me to find happiness is in an imaginary world with characters that have come to life in my thoughts. Then if I can write words that help one scene slide into the next and the next and avoid those writing doldrums, I’ll be in a happy place. Best of all, if I can meet my deadline, maybe I can go wildflower hunting.
Where do you find happiness?
Scavenger Hunt Winners on my Post
All this talk of hunting made me remember the Scavenger Hunt some of you took part in a couple of weeks ago. I’ve sent out the prizes to my three winners. Hannah of TN decided on The Outsider. Jeanne, also of TN, picked The Outsider as well. Erin of Ohio wanted me to pick my favorite Shaker book to send to her. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I asked my Facebook friends and got back a variety of choices, but Christmas at Harmony Hill seemed to be the front runner, so that’s what I sent Erin with a bonus of The Gifted as well.
Comments 17
My happy place is in my sewing room, with a view of the lake. But I also find serene happiness curled up with a good book. And most of all I absolutely love it when all my kids and grandkids get together. But with two railroad engineer sons, a farmer and a nurse, those occasions are very rare indeed. But Ohhh, the joy when their schedules come together!
Author
That does sound like a happy place in your sewing room looking out on the lake. But it’s good you have so many ways to find that happy times, Lavon.
In my everyday life my happy place is sitting on my front porch with my husband. We are out there from late Spring til Fall as much as possible.My happiest is when all our kids and grands are here and we are all on the porch or spilling out into the yard.
Author
I enjoy those time when all the family is here. It’s best when the sun is shining and we are all outside enjoying the day, Lisa. Very nice to think about those happy times.
” … happy possibilities.”
I like that. I try to be Pauline in my contentment, and at times it is a struggle, but I want to be happy wherever God tucks me in.
Author
I have to admit that I had to look up the Pauline reference, Kristy. I see it refers to Paul saying he was content in all things and situations with the Lord. And as a woman, you are a Pauline and not a Paul. I think you are winning that struggle. Enjoy your happy possibilities this week.
I am blessed to find happiness in many places. Family, home, church, friends, sunshine, gentle breezes, worship music and many more are on the list. One of my favorite places to find happiness is while sharing time with God. Conversations with God always give me comfort.
Author
You are fortunate to know how to corral happiness, Melissa. Sometimes it’s the attitude we take places with us that spell happiness or crankiness. The sunshine and breezes today make for plenty of happy moments.
More of us might find that elusive peaceful happiness if we took more time for conversation with God the way you do.
I’m not quite sure how I happened on to this interesting spot, but I did. (And I hope I can find my way back here!) But a nature hike does it for me!
We all experience different kinds of happiness and they can change some as we go through the seasons of life. But I feel tremendous exhilaration and joy while hiking. In the hills or mountains… trees, creeks, rocks and dirt thrill me! It’s like a date with God. Only, He’s the one who has put in all the effort, and I’m just singing His praises. That’s happiness!
Author
I hope you find your way back too, Ginger. If you want to see more posts, you can always sign up to get e-mail notifications of new posts. I usually post a couple of times a week unless I forget that it’s Sunday or Wednesday. I’ve been known to do that. But not often since I’ve got a thousand plus posts here. Sometimes I think I could have written three more books, but I enjoy journaling and connecting with reading friends here.
You sound like my kind of person. Hiking out into the world of nature is a happy place for me too. I love how you describe it as a date with God! What a lovely thought and what a great way to appreciate His marvelous creation.
Thank you, Ann. As you can probably tell, I’m not too handy with this internet stuff. But I’m trying. And I have often wanted to express what joy it imparts to me when you go into such wonderful detail of nature experiences in your stories. In fact, I was certain that only a kindred spirit could write those scenes the way you do when, time and again, you have taken me to the woods where I can rarely go now.
You see, there aren’t many woods, mountains, or creeks near Tulsa where I now live, although there is a lot of dirt! But I was raised in the Sierra Nevadas, which is a nature lover’s paradise. I’m sure that is where this longing in my heart began. And it does feel like a date to me, because indeed that is where God lured me into His mighty arms and when I became a Seeker! Not having the experience of a Christian home, in my younger years God whispered to me, sang, tickled, and caressed me there, filling me with wonder and awe. At 24, when I discovered who my “lover” was, I had an amazing “Aha” moment, and all suddenly made sense. And of course I love that scripture that says God reveals His very own nature… through nature itself!
Ginger, your testimony brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful and moving. I’m so glad that you experienced that “aha” moment!
Author
Beautiful testimony, Ginger. I love the mountains too, but only get to visit them. I’ve never lived close to them. So I have to enjoy my Kentucky farm and share that with all of you.
Happiness to me is being in the comfort of my home. I guess that must come with age. When I have to go somewhere I can’t wait to get home. The only Scavenger Hunt email I got was one that said “This hunt is not live. Please return on March 14….” I was still waiting for another email for the live hunt. I guess I misunderstood. Oh well, next time. 😊 Happy writing!
Author
I’m sorry, Karen. The posts were put up a day early to check to make sure everything worked and then they went live the next day, but I suppose new e-mails weren’t sent out of that post then since it was the same post but with that “come back later” message deleted. But worry not. I’ll be doing a book giveaway on here soon to celebrate the coming release of my new book, The Refuge. Plus, I’ll be sending out a newsletter. I’ve got a neat prize lined up for that giveaway. So you’ll have a new chance to win. And if you’re interested in the Scavenger Hunt posts, they are still up. You won’t win any prizes, but the posts were all very interesting.
I find happiness worshiping in church. Also reading quietly in the evening is another “happy place”.
Author
Both beautiful happy places, Suzanne