feeling happy.

I guess this is nothing but a moment to stop and remember the reasons I am happy. Because often times, the mundane cycle which life can offer, overshadows the reasons you truly feel alive.
It's hard to feel content and happy in each moment. We strive for it, but it's hard.

For me, I remember that I am happy by reflecting on things I am grateful for. For the little moments that make me thankful. So I started a list. It reminds me of a TED talk I watched, and LOVED called "The 3 A's of Awesome." If you haven't watched this, look it up, watch it. It's amazing. My friend Daina also does a similar thing with her blogs on "The Little Things". It's just taking a moment to pause and remember what we have, what we should be remembering every day when we are exhausted, grouchy, and overwhelmed.

Things get added to this list often. But today, they stand as follows:

*My Faith - I'm thankful I was brought up with hope and with a greater understanding that things are bigger and greater than me, and that I need to just love. THAT is the most important thing, and that love comes from my love for God.

*Family - I sometimes forget how lucky I am that my family members are some of my best friends. That's rare. And that I have parents that love and support me to no end.

*My Work - I get to do what I love every day. I get to serve humanity in a way that I feel is meaningful and in a way that fulfills the core of what I believe.

*My Friends - I have people I can count on, all the time. People who would do anything for me, and they know that the feeling is reciprocated. Some are close close by, and some are flung far and wide, but they know who they are. They each play a different role, each are unique, and each make me a better person in their own way.

And then, the smaller things, like:
- sitting outside on the patio and drinking iced tea.
- crawling into my bed and reading a good book.
- finding the perfect point of inspiration and photographing it.
- getting an iced coffee every morning.
- yoga at the beginning of the week.
- salads with ginger sesame dressing.
- farmer's markets in the Fall.
- donuts on a Thursday at noon.
- skyping with my niece and seeing her smile.
- remembering there is a new episode of my favorite show up on line right now.

and - writing to remember.