small things can make us happy

Don't get this wrong and escape

In my previous articles about happiness i explained how real happiness can never happen before you solve your important problems or at least prove to your subconscious mind that you are on the way to solving them.

Positive thinking, expressing gratitude and focusing on little things are all things that can help you feel better on the short term but unless you work on solving your real problems you will never find true happiness.

For example, If you suffer from depression because you broke up with someone then little things might help you feel better but you will never forget the person you used to like until you read about love psychology and know exactly what you need to do in order to get over him.

What Can We Be Happy About?

Ever been happy while unhappy?
Have you experienced one of those times when you go home upset about something and then you remember how yesterday while you were lying on the couch in the happy semi-conscious pre-nap world, your brother/sister noticed and quietly grabbed a blanket and tossed it over you.

A tiny smile had appeared on the corners of your lips then and as you remember the same smile comes back to you. And no matter how tired of life you are right then you can’t help thinking, ”No matter what goes to ruin, I have people who will always love me.”

Have you ever been telling your friend about some misfortune you have faced and then he/she tells you that your favorite band are coming to your town next week and instead of saying,” I’m crying my eyes out here and you are talking about a concert??”, you can’t help saying, “Well, I am thankful there is something to look forward to.”
Have you ever found things, no matter how small, to make you happy when everything is going wrong?

The Book of Awesome

Neil Pasricha says he is a “no-name 30 year old guy”, a project manager in a cubicle farm, who started a tiny blog called 1000 awesome things in 2008 with the goal of writing about one awesome thing, one simple universal joy every day.

He did this as his world was falling apart. In addition to being upset about the disastrous effects of hurricanes and the raging wars, Pasricha also had personal issues. His best friend had recentlycommitted suicide and he had separated from his wife.

After he moved to a tiny apartment, he wanted to move on and fix his life, to find a bright thing despite all the darkness around him. “With a black cloud over my head, I just felt like I needed something positive in my life.

Some way to remind myself of the good things which seemed like they were hidden behind some heavy velvet curtain.”He says that when he started the website, he didn’t expect that his friends would send it to friends and that before he could run out of ideas strangers worldwide would send him suggestions on Twitter like: waking up and realizing it’s Friday or finding all the traffic lights green when you are running late.

After some time, the site started attracting millions of visitors, winning awards and at last turned into a book called The Book of Awesome in 2010. There is also an upcoming sequel to the book entitled The Book of (Even More) Awesome.
Examples of the awesome facts mentioned in his book are:

1)The final seconds of untangling a really big knot
2)Finding forgotten money in your coat pocket.
3)Coming back to your own bed after a long trip.
4)When your hiccups finally stop.

Preachers use The Book of Awesome in sermons, high schools and colleges use it in classes. Pasricha says that the most touching responses he gets are from suicidal teens and people with serious illnesses who tell him that his book reminds them of the “little things”.

The Little Things Matter

Pasricha says we all face difficult times and when this happens we have two options: either we remain in misery forever or we grieve but face the future with the knowledge that life will always be happy and sad at the same time. But “awesome” is all about choosing the second option. It’s about focusing on these things that seem silly but that create the happiest part of our lives.

The hurtful loneliness that comes with moving into a new town, the stress of making new friends, the heart-ache that was caused by a major break-up and the disappearance of his best friend didn’t prevent Pasricha from finding one awesome thing about life every day. He didn’t stop at that but tried to share these things with people so that they can be happy too.

I am not telling you that seeing the good things in life would solve all your problems. But it certainly affects how you see life and changes your attitude towards it.

From Awful to Awesome

If you are fed up with people telling you that you have to look at the bright side, I am here to tell you that you should just look at the simple, every day things.

You may say that if your house was destroyed in an earthquake untying a big knot wouldn’t make you happy at all. But psychologists tell you that no matter what tragedies you face, you’ll take time to adapt and then you’ll be able to find happiness again.

If you can’t get rid of your negative feelings, just give it some time but don’t make these feelings get in the way of your remembering positive things and taking productive actions.