Happiness is a choice. But some days it's more like a battle. It's a steep, uphill climb on a humid day in the middle of the afternoon. Some days we wake up and feel no reason to choose to be happy. Maybe it's stress from school or work, maybe the weather is absolutely horrendous or maybe it just feels like everything has conspired against us; no matter what the reason, some days are harder than others to choose to be happy.
There's always the cliché reasons to be happy. Sunsets are beautiful, all our limbs are working, there is good food in our stomachs; it's all white noise sometimes. The next time you need an effective reminder as to why you should choose to be happy here are 51 reasons that you should be happy (that you've never even thought of).
1. Baby Shoes
They are so small and innocent, and I don't like babies that much but I definitely like their shoes.
2. Eating a cookie with perfect cookie-to-chocolate chip ratio.
3. Finding that thing you lost three years ago and thought you'd never see again.
4. Hearing a great song that you forgot existed on the radio.
It's like running into an old friend and remembering how much fun you used to have together.
5. Getting an A on a test you definitely didn't study enough for.
6. When the waiter messed up your order but you end up liking your meal better than your original order.
7. Jokes you have with your friends that literally make no sense to anyone else but make you laugh every time.
Every time I come home from college for a break, I have a new joke that no one understands except my college friends.
8. Being told you're good at something you thought you were terrible at.
9. Being sick but losing weight from the illness.
Every girl has a Stomach Flu Dress.
10. Being dumped but losing weight from the heartbreak and looking hotter than you ever did when you were dating your ex.
In my experience, break ups are the most effective way to lose weight.
11. Getting the most likes on your Instagram post than you ever have before.
12. Walking home from a night out and getting to pet the neighborhood cats.
13. Seeing multiple dogs being walked around campus on your way to class.
14. Seeing how close you can get to the squirrels before they run away.
Are you really a college student if you aren't obsessed with the squirrels?
15. Drawing something and it actually looking really good.
16. When you're learning a song on the piano or guitar, and people start to recognize what song it is.
17. Doing better at TV game shows than the actual people on the show.
Nothing brings me more satisfaction than realizing I got an answer right on Family Feud.
18. Getting a lot of burnt cheese at the end of the pizza crust.
19. Forming a strong bond with your waiter or waitress for the 45 minutes you're out to eat.
20. Forcing yourself to go class and getting extra credit attendance for that day.
21. When your food is delivered quicker than it was estimated to arrive.
22. Watching one sports team upset another sports team because who doesn't like an underdog?
23. Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar this year.
If he can win an Oscar, you can do anything.
24. Memes
25. Animals who have their own Instagram accounts.
This is Juniper. She is a domestic fox, and one of many animals of Instagram.
26. Eating a ridiculous amount of calories but still miraculously feeling thin.
27. Quoting an obscure movie/TV show and one of your friends understands the reference.
28. The Giant Panda is no longer an endangered species.
29. Drinking a milkshake that is the perfect amount of thick and creamy.
30. When your favorite seasonal food is added back onto the menu.
31. Panera Bread brought back their Steak and White Cheddar panini.
32. Just missing the train passing by so you're not caught in a traffic jam.
Especially if you live somewhere where 30 trains pass through daily.
33. Doing something risky and not even getting hurt.
34 . Getting hurt and not even crying so you end up looking really tough.
35. Walking on the beach late at night so there is no children or potential for sunburn.
36. When you're at a concert and the band covers one of your favorite songs.
37. Going on a road trip with someone and realizing they have great taste in music so you can trust them with the AUX cord.
38. A Galapagos tortoise fathered 1,000 children and single-handedly saved the species.
39. When you turn your calendar to the next month, and the picture is really great.
40. Knowing exactly what show you're going to start watching on Netflix once you finish the show you're currently on.
41. Finding a new funny Vine that you can watch over and over because they're only 7 seconds.
42. That one thing someone said that one time that always makes you laugh when you think about it, no matter how much time has passed.
43. Tweeting jokes about your unfortunate situations and emotional pain and getting a lot of retweets and favorites.
44. Thinking of a really great idea without even having to try.
45. Remembering that no two snowflakes are alike, meaning every snowflake that has fallen from the sky is different which is pretty amazing, don't you think?
46. Getting more than eight hours of sleep.
It's the easiest way to overachieve.
47. Cat's bean toes.
LOOK AT THOSE BEAN TOES.
48. When you look at the lizards at PetSmart and they look at you back and you can feel the connection.
49. Having the best costume at the party.
