If you're happy and you know it...

Someone asked me a question recently that made me look at myself in a way I never did before. It was like I was looking at myself as a book, delving deeper to find hidden information. The question was: Are you happy? I feel happy. But I know I'm not happy every minute of every single day. Events cause my feelings to fluctuate throughout any given day, but I'm sure that I am generally happy. I'm happy with my life. I have a good, supportive, and loving family. I have a husband that I adore, who is also my best friend. I have a small group of friends that I consider close confidants. I'm healthy. I have a good job. I have a nice home. I have what I need to survive, and I've been blessed with extra. I am happy. But what I realized after thinking about that question for many hours, is that there are areas of my life that I could improve to make me happier. For example, I want to give back by volunteering in some way. Since they built the Golisano children's hospital all I've wanted to do is volunteer to read to those kids. Giving makes me happy. I also need a creative outlet. I like taking photographs, so I enrolled in a photography class so I can learn how to really use the new camera my husband gave me. About five years ago I learned to knit. Since then I've made countless scarves and hats, but now I want to venture into something bigger: my goal for the fall is to make a sweater! Obviously, I enjoy writing. I want to develop my writing to create something that can be enjoyed by others. I feel like I have a story to tell, to share with the world. So, that's my promise to myself for the rest of this year before I turn 30. I am going to work on bringing more happiness into my life by doing things that challenge me and bring me joy. I'm going to break out of this rut I've fallen into of "should's", and I'm going to do things that I want to do, that will bring more joy and fulfillment into my life.