What Makes You Happy?

Well, I have lots of answers for that question.  One item high on the Happy List is a cup of coffee in my favorite red mug first thing in the morning.  The thought of having coffee gets me out of  bed.  Seriously.  Carl doesn't drink coffee, but for some reason he has taken it upon himself to get the pot ready every night so all I have to do when I wake up is push the button.  Now that sweet thoughtfulness also makes me happy.  I get the  "O" Magazine, and some months are ready for the recycle pile fairly quickly, and other months are worth the read.  The February issue is a great issue - made me happy to be a subscriber. The cover was the first warm fuzzy.  I guess there are  a couple of covers out there, this is the one that is all done in chalk.  Love it.  Several years ago, when I was in the shoe catalog business, I suggested the art director draw the cover for the next shoe catalog in chalk.  It was brilliant!  I don't know if we sold more shoes that month, but I still have that cover if you want to see it.  So, of course, when I saw the cover of "O" done in chalk (color chalk, no less), I was anxious to read more of the "Express Yourself" issue.  Lots of great articles and eye candy to buy (Oprah is always good at that).  What really was worth the price of the yearly subscription, however, was the column by Martha Beck, "Now, Don't Get Excited...But do get happy.  Martha Beck explains the all-important difference between feeling thrilled, exhilarated, and crazed - and finding the kind of joy that lasts."  Two pages of good insight, but....there on the third page...How to Be Here Now.  I will quote the article now - "I discovered a two-word instruction that reliably ushered me onto the plains of peace when I couldn't force my Brain to just "be still".  Here it is:  Make something.  You see, creative work causes us to secrete dopamine, a hormone that can make us feel absorbed and fulfilled without feeling manic.  Research indicates that we're most creative when we're happy and relaxed, and conversely, that we can steer our brains into this state by undertaking a creative task."  Somehow I have known this all along, and, I am sure you have, too.  Make something.  Create.  It makes us happy and calm and usually makes others around us happy, too, if they are the lucky recipients of something homemade.  So, I cut out the article to put in my "Inspiration" file, ear-marked the pages where it shows JAG jeans with a pull-on waist, an apple crisp recipe (that is why I need pull-on jeans), and where to buy the Xonex Wooden Art Set for only $35 (Amazon.com).  Tonight I sewed out one of my latest coaster designs - a red cup of coffee, of course!  Happy happy.  Jerilynn