- April 26, 2024
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Per usual, I woke up this morning to sound of the TV blaring the news from my parents’ living room. As I stretched my arms and attempted to get out of bed, I heard a the morning anchor lady scream about the different ways we could celebrate the International Day of Happiness.
Excuse me, ma’am. First of all, it’s 7:30 a.m. and there’s no need to yell (translated: um, mom, could you turn the volume a tad, people are trying to sleep in here). And second of all, there’s an entire day of dedicated to happiness? What are the rules here? What are the consequences if we don’t maintain a sunny demeanor for the full 24 hours? How do I score points? Are there prizes?
Suddenly I felt the urge to run, jump, climb, do all of the things that are supposed to make you feel alive. Except skydiving. I don’t need to be that alive.
With my mind buzzing in a million different stressful directions, I decide to begin my adventure to a place that always makes me happy (surprise, surprise, it isn’t food-related): the beach. I called my friend, Danielle, and we set off.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and we were almost to the beach. Then it hit, the hunger. I had been so amped up about my day of happiness that I totally skipped lunch. Have you ever had hunger hit so hard that it feels like the entire world has to stop because you have to get a bite of something? ANYTHING? Well, that was me around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Danielle, being the gem that she is, pulled over to the first place she saw. I ran in so fast that I honestly don’t even remember the name of the joint. I quickly rushed the waitress through my order ("HURRY KAREN THERE’S NO TIME TO WASTE"), and impatiently waited for my lunch.
A few bites in, and I started to feel like a human being again. I had a chicken parm panini, and if I remembered the name of the restaurant, I would totally recommend it. I apologized to Karen for my hastiness, and got back on track.
I kid you not, the moment we stepped outside the sky turned gray. Gray, gloomy and foggy. My beach day was over. My parade was literally rained on.
We tried to revive the anticipation of the day by sitting by the pool, and reliving high school memories, but it was no use. The day was done. I mean, it was only 3 p.m., but the day was definitely done.
I drove home in a very blue mood wondering why anyone would create a holiday that causes so much pressure. How in just 24 hours was I supposed accomplish what I’ve been trying to get for 22 years? No way.
When I made it home, I did some research and found the one thing I was missing. The following is an excerpt from the International Day of Happiness’ official website:
“After years of happiness research, one thing has proved fundamental - the importance of our connections with other people. But modern societies are built as if the opposite was true. We are surrounded by people, yet we feel genuinely connected to almost none of them. The effects are devastating. Social isolation is as potent a cause of early death as smoking; and the epidemic of loneliness is twice as deadly as obesity. We could change this in a day if we all reached out and made at least one positive connection. For the International Day of Happiness, that's exactly what we're going to do.”
Duh, Emily. Nobody finds happiness when their chasing it for themselves. Happiness is like boyfriends, sunny days and a fresh block of cheese: it doesn’t happen when you spend all your energy trying to find it. It's about loving your friends and family for the weirdos they are. It's about remembering that the beach is down the street from your house, and you can try again tomorrow. It's about appreciating that you have a job that lets you complain about a bad day to an entire city.
When you sit back, and feel grateful for what you have, great things happen.
Five Quick Fixes for Instant Happiness Guaranteed (sort of!)
1. Take a walk. If you’re reading this, that means you’re somewhere in the vicinity of Ormond Beach, meaning you literally have a million and one places to take a walk. No excuses.
2. Write. I might be a little biased here, but writing is kinda the key to happiness. Putting all your ugly feelings down on paper clears your brain space for more good stuff. It’s practically science.
3. Sing one of your favorite, most up-beat songs at the top of your lungs. And for my entertainment, please do it in your car, with your windows down, on West Granada Boulevard around noon this Friday so I can laugh at you (I mean with you).
4. Eat. Sure, your therapist might say that relying on food is a bad thing, but they’re not here! So indulge in all the yummy goodness you can. You might regret it tomorrow at the gym, but happiness is about living for right now!
5. Watch something with Tina Fey or Will Ferrell. If you need me to further explain their purposes in your life, please feel free to send me an email, and expect a very lengthy response.
