Summary

The website content reflects on the author's perspective on happiness, emphasizing the importance of gratitude for life's simple pleasures and the power of positive intention.

Abstract

The author, Katie Michaelson, shares her insights on happiness, attributing it to recognizing and being thankful for the small joys in life. She believes that happiness is not contingent on spending money but rather on appreciating the free and often overlooked aspects of daily life, such as a sunny day to mow the lawn or the process of making sauerkraut. The article also touches on the concept of happiness as a choice, illustrated by her own life experiences, including adjusting to a heart condition and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Michaelson encourages readers to cultivate thankfulness and positive thinking as key components of happiness, drawing inspiration from friends and fellow writers like Sandra Pawula and Trista Signe Ainsworth.

Opinions

The author suggests that happiness can be found in the little things in life, such as a clean front porch or the scent of fragrant plants.
She emphasizes that happiness is a personal choice, independent of others' life choices or circumstances.
The author values the act of expressing gratitude, as seen in her thank you notes to friends and the community that brings her joy.
She believes that one can find joy in activities like reading, gardening, and engaging in creative pursuits without the need for financial expenditure.
The author acknowledges that everyone has the right to their own emotional state, whether it be happiness or grouchiness, and that it's not her place to judge others' choices.
Michaelson is inspired by the stories and experiences shared by her friends and other writers, which she features and comments on within her own writing.
She advocates for the idea that training the brain to be more positive can contribute to personal contentment and happiness.

THANK YOU NOTES

Being Thankful Makes Me Happy

By recognizing the significance of little things, we can find joy and happiness.

Simple green bean plants growing around old watering cans. Katie Michaelson.

Often I’m asked how I can be so happy. It sure beats being asked, “How come you're such a mean old lady?” Some people have thought me mean, I’m sure. I have clear interpersonal boundaries and that can be perceived as mean. You know, when someone isn’t getting what they want.

When asked about what creates happiness, I feel taken aback. That’s an old-fashioned way of saying I have to stop and think. I can’t say for sure there is one reason.

But I know it has a lot to do with taking time to be thankful for the little things in life. By taking time to recognize the significance of the seemingly insignificant things in our life we can find joy and a deep sense of happiness.

Today I’m Thankful For

The cabbage my friend and I sliced, salted, and stuffed into a crock turned into delicious sauerkraut.
The rain stopped long enough today to let the sun dry my yard so I could mow the lawn.
I’m still gathering veggies from my tiny garden.
The rain sent the wasps, licking the jar of crystallized honey I had sitting in the sun this afternoon to de-crystallize away!
I could bring the honey back into the house. Not doing that one again!
I have family and friends who love me.

Happiness Is Free

We don’t need to spend money to find things to bring us joy. I love so many things that don’t cost money.

Yesterday

I got one half of my front porch cleaned and arranged so I can sit there reading or doing puzzle books as the breeze whispers sweetly to me.

Tomorrow

I will be able to clean the other half of my front porch and begin filling it up with plants I’m bringing in for the winter.

Ya know?

No one has ever commented that the curtains hung in my bedroom are on the rod backward. I’ll have to have someone help me fix that someday.

So many plants have a fragrance that fills me with a sense of peace and joy — and I can make tea with them or eat them.

It’s A Choice

I know being thankful for the little things in life and the things that are free has a lot to do with happiness. At least that’s true for me. I can’t know if it is true for others.

I have a lifelong friend. This friend has always been negative, and it bothered me. I felt I needed to cheer her up. Suddenly it hit me that if I had a right to be happy, she had a right to be grouchy.

I decided it was a choice. It’s not my place to evaluate my friend's life choices. I can only look at mine.

I have a congenital heart condition so could never participate in sports like others. I chose to sew patches on uniforms, create art for team activities, and help organize fundraisers for athletic programs.
I can’t run or walk five miles. I can walk a mile, so I think about that.
Before 2020, I walked home from my job at night and the lights glowing from my window and those along my garden glistened, making my white house with gray trim and tiny garden look welcoming and rather magical. Covid took my job. I choose to take walks at night, so I still get the experience.
I can’t travel. I can enjoy the photos and stories from my friends who travel.

What’s The Takeaway?

When people ask how I can be so happy, I’d like to hand them something solid — something they can take to create happiness for themselves. I think there are lots of dynamics at play. All I offer here is that I believe it is a choice and that taking time to be thankful for all the little seemingly insignificant things in life is a huge part of it.

Thank you, Trista Signe Ainsworth, for creating this wonderful place to keep our stories of thankfulness. The Thank you notes found here bring joy to many.

This Thank you note was inspired by Sandra Pawula’s comment on my post about her post. Now that’s fun. Did you take time to giggle?

Katie, I’m impressed that you can do this! I think you have some magic to share on the topic of happiness yourself. Thanks so much for featuring my story on happiness and positive intention. I love the parts you shared.

How to Grow Your Happiness Using Positive Intention

You can train your brain to be happier, more positive, and more content

medium.com

My Short-form about her story;

It’s so easy to get bogged down in the hard stuff of life — and the negatives.

Sandra Pawula has thought about what fosters a positive attitude and wrote about it.

medium.com

My answer to Debbie Walker;

While sorting cucumbers for making pickles today my friend asked, “don’t you ever get tired of…

Biting into a small crisp cucumber and picking up a stem of dill to wave the sharp fragrance in the air, I paused.

medium.com