An exercise in happiness

02 Aug, 2026

I am not very good at being happy. Here’s an idea I made up to help me get better: a list of 100 small things I like.

1. Rosemary bushes in public walkways
2. Desire paths
3. Sunrays filtering through prisms
4. Rainbow oil spills in gas stations
5. Half melted chocolates
6. Sitting on the floor
7. Mattresses
8. When the song I’m listening to ends right as I reach my destination
9. Trains
10. Old things
11. Conversations in bus stations
12. Wooden furniture
13. Kitchens bathed in yellow
14. Rocks
15. Having a book on me
16. Spending a long time in a cafe
17. Smoothies
18. An empty inbox
19. Reading my old work
20. Painting
21. Cooking for other people
22. Walking
23. Ice cream
24. Leftover gift wrap
25. Large armchairs
26. Coffee tables
27. Complimenting strangers
28. Young gay kids in public
29. Libraries
30. Chai
31. Cheesecake
32. Music
33. Being alone with other people
34. Lopsided smiles
35. Mirror pictures
36. Seeing myself from behind
37. Band shirts
38. Texting my friends
39. Reading weird books
40. Small websites
41. Movies
42. Bad tv shows
43. Public charging ports
44. My computer
45. Being reminded of people
46. Milkshakes
47. Doodling
48. Making elaborate breakfasts
49. Affogatos
50. Local band concerts
51. Stray cats
52. Sitting in public parks
53. Listening to people talk
54. Looking out the car window
55. Having my own bedroom
56. Triple texting
57. Hearing a good song play in public
58. Being independent
59. Thick canvas bags
60. Bones
61. Gossiping
62. Balconies
63. Tea in the morning
64. Rain
65. Kids playing
66. Tile floors
67. Antique stores
68. Comfortable jeans
69. Commiserating with service workers
70. Being nice to people
71. Meeting someone I have seen in a long time
72. Forests
73. Recommending books to people
74. Reformatting my writing
75. Stuffed animals
76. Escalators
77. Local grocery stores
78. Boots
79. Good conversation flow
80. Comfortable socks
81. Taking off my sports bra/binder
82. Winter
83. Listening in on conversations
84. Stories I don’t fully understand
85. Fast typing
86. Neon signs
87. Being unexpected
88. Airports
89. Old pictures of me
90. Losing track of time
91. My backyard
92. Heavy blankets
93. Large windows
94. Dogs napping in the sun
95. Knowing that something will make a friend laugh
96. Walking by the house of someone I used to love without wondering if they’re okay
97. Getting brilliant ideas
98. Lighthouses
99. Pens
100. Writing