How to Be Happy: Another Memo to Myself

Take your time.

Slow yourself way down. You rush and rush and in your hurry to grow up you forget to take note of everything that’s making your heart swell. These are days you will want to relish in.

Start with little things.

Read each and every one of those greeting cards in the aisle at the grocery store. Your soul is begging you to, so just do it. They fuel your spirit when it’s low.

Take as many photographs of clouds and skies and sunsets and sunrises as you can. Memorize the colors that are being painted around you and store them in your palette for dreaming.

Secretly love the cliches. Stitch them together into a blanket and wrap them around you at night.

Eat the all of the dessert and do not feel selfish for not sharing.

Call your mother. Tell her you love her. How you will always love her. Call her while you can. The world will be significantly duller when she leaves. Because someday, she will leave and you are her legacy. Be the light leftover. Radiate.

Let them in, whoever they may turn out to be. Do not write out the list of excuses explaining why you shouldn’t. Write out the list of why you should.

When the sun is shining, without fail always open the windows. There is joy in the motes of dust floating on the sun’s rays. Notice them.

Sing when you’re sad. Let your hair get wet. Embrace your laugh. Your freckles are beautiful.

Make concrete those things that make you happy.