The things that make us smile ear-to-ear

Sometimes when we are down and out, the most obvious things don’t make us happy.

The things that worked in the past fail to boost our mood. And then, as if by magic, we see something and it perks us up. Here is a list of things that are capable of making us smile ear-to-ear:

1. Five Minutes Extra In The Morning
Those extra five minutes of sleep in the morning before heading to work or school are bliss. They give us the illusion of having had a good night’s sleep and instantly put us in a good mood.

2. Butterflies
These colorful little things flitting about when we least expect them make us happy. It’s something to do with their delicate beauty and the urgent manner in which they fly. The magnificent patterns on their bodies make us smile.

3. Puppies, Cats or Babies
Not necessarily in this order. Either of these things has the ability to make us forget our woes. They have the magic power of putting us in a better mood. They change something inside us, and all these feelings of tenderness rush forth. We reach to touch them, play with them. Their adorability is a huge factor, of course.

4. Empty rides or no queue at the cinema
Imagine yourself walking past your favorite ride (rollercoaster) at the local amusement park and finding it busy, always. You curse under your breath: why the hell does everyone come to this ride? There are a million others, why not go there? Or you are already late for a movie you’ve been dying to watch and a long queue awaits you at the cinema. It puts you off. But then one day, you find that there is place for one in the rollercoaster and it is you. You arrive at the movies and there is no one else. You’re first at the counter.

5. Getting a Freebie or A Hefty Discount
You go to your favorite pub with a friend and order two pints of beer. Instead he comes with four. You are confused and you tell him, “Dude, I ordered only two,” and he says, “It’s happy hours, sir. One + one free,” and you jump like a freak. Or you book flight tickets and they’re giving you a 60% discount because you happen to be the 100th customer that day. There’s nothing that makes a man happy than getting a great deal and not having to pay retail price.

6. Pre-holiday High
You have planned a 7-night trip to Mauritius and the waiting is killing you. But it is actually making you a very, very happy man, because the anticipation gives you a high like nothing else. You’re constantly thinking of what you would do on your vacation - amount of beer you will have, things you will see, places you will go. You’re visualizing happiness and that’s what you’re getting in return. So continue doing that at other times too: visualize better things in life - better job; better relationships; better health.