What makes you happy?

A friend asked what made me happy while we were having dinner together. My monkey brain kicked in and tried to give an impressive answer.

I said that most of the time, I try to avoid things that make me unhappy.

I never fully succeed, but most of the time, I can get close.

Homework made me unhappy. School made me unhappy. Being told what to do made me unhappy. Bad relationships made me unhappy. Too much alcohol made me unhappy.

In fact, we don't have to spend the whole day with those things above. And we won't die without them.

I now slowly have time to myself. With peace and quiet, I eventually find things that interest me: A good night's sleep makes me happy. Taking classes I like makes me happy. Talking with people and learning new things from them makes me happy. Playing soccer makes me happy. Also, reading makes me happy. Give me more time, and I can never find enough of them.

Sometimes what makes us happy starts with an act of putting away unhappy events. From there, we gradually get in touch with what we really want. We do things that are good for us and help us return to the path to happiness again.