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Happiness

The Truth About Happiness

By Leigh HooperPublished 5 years ago 2 min read
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For a lot of people, happiness only comes once they have everything they want. They'll forget about being happy now to try and work for the happiness they want in the future.

When I was younger, I only believed you could be happy if you were married and had kids and a dog. The typical white-picket fence life. As I got older, I realised that's all bullshit. I've experienced happiness that I didn't even realise I could find. Even after the worst days, the worst times in my life, I’ve always been able to find happiness again. Even the smallest pieces of happiness can turn your life around.

Happiness is unexpected, it's not planned. It can appear at any time, it might even shock you a little bit. It won't be like how you imagined, and it will creep up on you in the most random places. It's in the road trip to a garden centre on a hot summer’s day. It's in the 2 AM game of Jenga with your family, and no one really knows how you ended up there. Maybe you get that coffee you wanted, but maybe you didn't; maybe you got a cake instead. Either way, you still feel the same happiness. It’s in the excitement before a rollercoaster ride. It’s in the happy moments when someone’s laughter is so infectious that you, and others, have to laugh at it too. It's in the crossing of paths between yourself and the cute little baby that waves at you. It's in the Netflix marathon you have with friends, popcorn and blankets galore. It's in the strange coincidences of meeting the same guy twice in one day and he asks if you'd like to go for a drink (say yes, he'll make your heart melt and he'll pay!). It's in the early mornings watching the sun sets with a loved one, and it's in the late nights when you star gaze alone. It's in the brunch with old mates, in the good books you can't stop reading, in the puddles you splash in on a muddy walk. It's the toothy smiles and the full-belly laughter that you can't control. It's staring at the people around you and seeing they're happy too. It's picturesque and sometimes it's not—sometimes it's in your teary eyes when someone helps you stop being sad. It’s in the happy dogs that come to greet you and it’s also in the cats that let you pet them. It's in the "please" and "thank you"-s. It's stupid things and funny things. It's in the terrible joke at a funeral which you have to laugh at—you've always got to look on the brighter side of things. It's in the Happy Meal of a late night McDonald's trip and it's also in the fancy meal you go to on your first date with your wife, not that you know it yet.

The possibilities are endless, and it is breathtaking. I know it gets hard sometimes and sometimes staring at a wall with a blank expression may seem like the only thing you will ever do ever again BUT happiness will arrive. You will drink it in your coffee, and it will warm you up inside. It will tap you on the shoulder and give you a well needed hug. Happiness will drape a blanket over you once you've fallen asleep on the sofa. It will pull you in and you will feel it every day for the rest of your life. Appreciate the small moments of happiness. Be grateful of the big moments of happiness.

happiness
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About the Creator

Leigh Hooper

A writer in her twenties with a head full of ideas and a room full of books✨

My Instagram handle is: @leighooper

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