I feel happiest when…

I am laughing and reminiscing with family and creating new memories.

…when I am living freely…what I mean by that is care-free, pressure-less occasions, when there is no ‘you must do this or that’. Like when I was on the retreat in Texas: mountain-biking and playing in the water.

I love the sun and drinking cocktails because they’re sweet and social.

I feel happy when I’m not left alone to my own thoughts. I don’t like feeling lonely. Life is about relationships, nurturing them, loving and being loved – these are the most important, cherished things.

I am happiest when I am in a full and real embrace with a loved one. Hugs.

I feel happiest when I am victorious. And when I am laughing or smiling. What or who provokes my gut laughter, the type of laughter where I snort almost uncontrollably, the type where I can’t get my words out I am laughing so hard and so much? That’s the million dollar question.

That’s why I miss home and my heart longs to be back in England right now with my family and my close, laughter-inducing friends. And my car. So I can drive over to see them. And the familiar places to dine out or to go out and have fun. And I find I don’t often get homesick, but when I do it is ALWAYS, ALWAYS during the holidays – the festive periods that are meant to be filled with real, genuine love and connections. That’s why I ask myself: ‘I am happiest when…?’ So I can find out and do that thing, and laugh.

The holidays have been a struggle. When are your most sorrowful moments and how do you pick yourself up and keep smiling? You can find a couple of my ‘keep smiling’ strategies in a previous post here & read ‘Keep Smiling’ to discover the benefits of smiling to overcome adversity and sadness.

Last night when I wrote the above words (‘I am happiest when…’) into my personal journal, I wept a little, then prayed, read the Bible and hopped to YouTube to play a couple songs that uplift my spirit. One of my current favourites is: ‘Soar’ by Meredith Andrews. Check out the uplifting YouTube playlist here. Whilst listening, I penned these three patterns below to relax and calm my spirit. It all worked.