5 Things that Make Me Happy

Taken from this list, what are the 5 things that make me the most happy in my life right now?  We have to let ourselves be happy now by living up to our potential, nurturing our relationships, and finding joy in the journey.

1.  The Gospel: I don't care if this is generic, cheesy, or overplayed.  And even if I am not doing my best right now at doing the little things that could give me the full benefits of the gospel, this is still true.  When things get rough, the gospel reminds me to keep an eternal perspective and things get a little easier to handle.  I know I have the resource of prayer, scripture study, and temple attendance even if I am bad at taking advantage of them.  Many precious memories, experiences, and people I've met come as a result of having the gospel in my life.

pretty awesome picture for a flip phone, right?

 2. Kids in general, but especially my Nephews!:  It is my job to keep kids safe.  Despite the fact that they can go through so much, many kids remain resilient and able to love.  They are also hilarious!  Some of the funniest things I've heard have come out of kids' mouths, whether they meant it to be funny or not.  One of my favorite sounds is of children laughing and playing.  It's amazing to see their little personalities come through at such a young age, and to me it is a testament of the Preexistence.  My nephews, despite the fact that they are triplets, all have such different personalities, talents, and struggles.  It really drives home the Dr. Seuss quote, "A person's a person, no matter how small!"  It is always the highlight of my trips to Livermore to see my nephews - how they're growing to eventually become great young men!

3.  Art: I love viewing it and creating it.  I need to take more time to do both.  Viewing art inspires and fascinates me.  Creating art - while sometimes frustrating when I can't get it just right - makes me feel good about myself.  In a way, I feel it does bring me closer to God because I am able to create something beautiful with a talent that He gave me.  I felt inspired since a young age to paint like my grandmother - she has several beautiful paintings of landscapes in her home and I wanted to emulate that in the future.  About a year ago, I started this life-long dream by enrolling into a Fine Art Academy and taking an oil painting class!

portraits were my thing in high school - did this in the 11th grade.

my most recent portrait - did this last year

Did this in painting class.  I can't wait until I finish my next one so I can do a post about a painting start to finish.

4. Travel: I've always wanted to go out and see the world... although when I was younger, "world" meant "Europe."  I've had the good fortune to be able to travel to different countries: Italy, Costa Rica, England, and Peru (I'm not counting Tijuana, MX or Vancouver, Canada).  I love being able to observe different cultures up close and personal - I only wish I spoke a different language so I could actually talk more to the locals or venture beyond tour groups without feeling worried.

5.Friends: My friends have been able to pick me up when I've felt down, have brought me peace of mind, or have just had fun with me.  Since I have not been very close with my family, I have found that friends have more often been my backbone. 

6.  Cats: Yes, I'm adding a 6th option, and yes I am being a crazy cat lady.  But can I say how much I love Grumpy Cat???