That seems like a simple question, doesn’t it? But when you’re busy, especially when you’re stressed, will you remember the good things as well as the bad? Or, as you look back on your life, do the embarrassing moments stand out to the point where you forget that you had good times as well? Memory is a fickle thing.
I don’t recall who saw me start awake when I was in the children’s choir, seated only a couple people away from the priest and realizing immediately that everybody else was standing again. I know somebody in the pews noticed, though not, perhaps, my parents. That’s not something that I would have written down in a Happiness Journal. (Though as a parent, I totally would… different perspective, obviously.)
I would write down that Zuko sat himself down on the treadmill last week, just as I was preparing to walk on it. I turned it on, at the lowest settings, carefully stepped over him, then watched his bewildered face as he slid further back, finally moving off it just before he reached the end.
I might not write down that I made pizza again, though I do quite like the recipe we use. But finding out that my homemade pizza always makes someone else’s Happiness Journal is worth remembering.
You can buy a Happiness Journal if you want something structured, but you can just make your own by grabbing the nearest blank notebook or journal, or go digital and start a Google Docs file for it. As a bonus, you can add photos to it when relevant in either format. (I use a Sprocket printer to add photo stickers to various paper journals.)
Even if you don’t write it down, try stopping at the end of the day and asking yourself what made you happy. And if nothing jumps out, well, you’re still awake and have the opportunity to hug a cat, eat a piece of chocolate, or another option that works for you. I’m going to step outside and see if any more daffodils have flowered.