50 Things that make me happy

50 Things that make me happy

Today’s post is brought to you by the number 50.  I am stealing the general concept from some people I’ve seen doing it out there.  I am going to share 50 sources of happiness, one per day until my wedding day.  To spare you the anxiety of checking back every day, I will do 10 posts of 5, so be sure to check back every 5^th day!

50.  Friday 5/23 - I am happy for Anissa’s end of the school year and for the start of “summer hours” at work for me.  On Friday Anissa had early-release on the last day of school, and I got to leave work at 12pm without taking personal time off.  Hello happy hour and an early start to a long weekend!

49.  Saturday 5/24 - I am happy for the weather and getting to relax and catch up with my little sister Laura on a lazy Saturday afternoon.  We had a pretty relaxed morning of coffee with Anissa and breakfast with my parents, followed by a few hours just sitting in the sun and shooting the shit (accompanied with a mid-afternoon vodka-soda).  Then we both dozed off while watching the Indians game.  What a great way to spend an afternoon!

48.  Sunday 5/25 - My parents bring me happiness.  I’ve gotten to see them twice this month which is a rare treat for me.  What a roller-coaster life has been for them the last couple years.  I’ve truly enjoyed watching them grow and learn, even beyond their already-infinite wisdom.  I feel loved and inspired every day because of them.  (side note – thanks to my sister Maureen, brother-in-law Ryan, and their future son/my future nephew for giving the family good reason to get together and celebrate!).

47.  Monday 5/26 – Planning my wedding brings me happiness.  Sure, there is stress involved when you are trying to orchestrate a major event with important details.  But through the whole process Anissa and I have found ways to have fun doing it.  Today, we did planning at Buffalo Wild Wings.  How can you be stressed with wings and beer?!

46.  Tuesday 5/27 – School brings me happiness.  I’m taking a pretty interesting class right now that revolves around inventive problem-solving.  It’s fairly “out-of-the-box” thinking for an MBA course, and it’s refreshing in that way.  While the nights are long and my weekends are usually consumed with schoolwork, I get a lot out of my program and I am fortunate to be able to continue my education.

 

4 minutes - the perfect song

4 minutes – the perfect song

The last week or so I’ve been trying to piece together some thoughts for my next entry, and I think it finally came together in my head today.  Hopefully I can articulate as clear as it seemed on my drive home from work today!

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately reflecting on the last couple years.  It’s one of those paradoxes where it seems like time is both flying by and crawling.  So much has happened, and yet there is so much coming up.  As I thought about the last few years, naturally my mind went to the highest points and my lowest points.  I won’t touch on those specifically, but it got me thinking about how people tend to focus on how quickly time flies when times are good, as well as how they deal with adversity.  But then I started thinking about what sustains me when things are neither really good nor really bad…what do I live for?  Am I one of those people that lives from peak to peak, trying to avoid the valleys?  Do I find genuine happiness in my day-to-day life? 

When I think about what sustains me, my natural inclination is to point to my family, friends, and faith.  But then I started thinking beyond the obvious.  I love to run.  I love to learn.  I love to be outside.  I love puzzles.  I love movies that can make me both laugh and cry all within the same 90 minute period.  And I love music. 

Then I had my “a-ha!” moment for the blog.  Music not only sustains me in my day-to-day life, bringing me general happiness as I ride to and from work, spend time at the gym, or attend church.  Music also is something that makes those really great moments even better, and provides comfort in those really tough times.  I have a pretty eclectic taste in music.  While my favorites include country, latin, Christian rock, and classic rock, I also enjoy pop, hip-hop, musicals, and pretty much anything under the sun. 

This week I heard a couple songs on the radio – one that made me reflect on some high points in my life, and one that made me think about some of my more difficult moments.

“Rewind” by Rascal Flatts – this is a newer song by one of my favorite country artists.  In the song the artist is reflecting on a night so wonderful that he wants to rewind it and do it all over again.  I love the melody and something about it just makes me think of some of those super fun summer nights in high school and college that I just never wanted to end.  Every time I hear it on the radio I crank it up and roll down the windows and it just makes me feel happy.

“Get Back Up” by Toby Mac – a couple years ago I started listening to the Christian station in Columbus (104.9 The River).  I just wanted to give it a chance since I do enjoy Christian rock music.  I find a lot of comfort in this station.  The songs are uplifting, and the morning show is just good, clean fun.  It also gets me to work on a positive note.  This song talks about bouncing back from a difficult time.  I like it because it’s a broad enough topic that you can relate it to almost any situation – a serious medical issue, a bad day at work, an upsetting conversation, whatever it may be.  The story within in the song basically acknowledges that we go through tough times, and those times often change us, but that love heals.  I think I like it because it makes me feel like a human – that it’s okay that things go wrong – but it ends with a positive, hopeful message.

So there you have it – 2 songs, both under 4 minutes – spend the 10 minutes and check them out if you aren’t familiar with them already.  Music breathes life into my world.  It sustains me, and reminds me of the best of times, and gives me hope during the worst of times.  What are your go-to songs?  What song makes you get lost in time?  What keeps you going on those tough days?

Top 10 Highlights from a Fun Weekend

Top 10 Highlights from a Fun Weekend (in random order)

1.       Family of 8 - Getting to see my parents and all 5 of my sisters for the first time in a looooong time.  Feeling refreshed and excited for lots of big family milestones the rest of this year.

2.       13.1 Miles - Watching my sister Carolyn finish her first half-marathon ever.  Trained alone without a group while juggling so many other priorities, and to top it off she beat her goal time.  Rockstar! (or should I say Superstar!?)

3.       7 Months Away - Being asked (and saying yes) to being in my sister Aileen’s wedding this November.  I love family events and I’m sure this one won’t disappoint!

4.       2 Hours of Bliss - Spending time in the yard.  Even if it was just mowing, trimming and weeding, I love being outside and I take a lot of pride in our yard.  Thanks to a very rainy week, everything is looking fresh and plentiful!

5.       Party of 6 - Dinner at a new restaurant – Hudson 29 in Upper Arlington.  Yum!

6.       26.2 Hilly Miles - Watching all the runners in the Cincinnati Flying Pig this weekend.  Anissa and I knew 3 people completing their first full marathon (and on such a tough course!), and they all killed it.

7.       9am Sweet Treats - Morning cocktails in an open-air bar in downtown Cincinnati with Anissa.  While waiting for runners to finish, we may have imbibed a few mimosas and some Irish coffee.

8.       Winning 2-1 - Watching Anissa’s nephew Alex play soccer.  Great weather for some kindergarten soccer (and random playtime with the Drew and Aidan too!).

9.       4 Slices Please! - Shark tank and pizza for dinner tonight.  After a fun but exhausting weekend, some greasy pizza and lazy time on the couch with my partner-in-crime is just what the doctor ordered.

10.   10pm Bedtime - Early bed time.  The next few weeks are going to be busy, so getting to bed before 10pm (vs. the usual 11:30pm) is a real treat!

Sorry, no pics to share from the weekend.  I should get better at that.