14,000 Things To Be Happy About

My favorite thing to be happy about is the sight of birds flying - especially a flock of birds... and especially a flock of Starlings. And the thing about "things to be happy about" is that you can create a sort of custom mood trigger. By appreciating something and deliberately choosing to be happy about it, your brain connects the feeling of happiness with the experience of whatever it is. What happens eventually is that, whatever your mood, the experience of that thing will automatically cause the release of endorphins and Serotonin.

Because of the appreciation and wonder I have when I see birds flying, I now have an association between happiness and the sight of birds flying... and no matter what my mood is, seeing birds flying above lifts that mood, and my subconscious almost sees it as a good sign, a reassurance everything is alright

Photo by Michaela Kobyakov

There is great power in enjoying the little things. Making a point of savoring your morning cup of coffee, or the sensation of a warm shower, or the smell of toast, boosts your mood - and even those tiny boosts add up to a big difference.

Developing an awareness of the pleasure in the small things in your life will lead to more of what you want - when you start appreciating and enjoying those little things, your mood affects your attitude, which in turn affects the things you do, the choices you make, the energy you have, the way you approach the rest of your day... which in turn changes the results you get.

The snowball effect continues to color your interactions with others, your communication, and your ability to get things done.

When you're feeling happy, you have more energy, more motivation, more inspiration... which means you're more likely to be physically active. Whether it's going to the gym, running, playing ball, dancing or getting a DIY project done - feeling happy definitely increases the chances you'll go ahead with it.

Feeling happy also leads to healthier eating - most people are likely to eat healthier and refrain from over-eating when they're happy.

On top of this, feeling happy also boosts your immune system. The chemicals produced by the brain increase the body's natural defences.

So, becoming aware of things to be happy about (no matter how you're currently feeling) can actually have a massive impact on your physical well-being.