Happiness is sometimes hard to define and hard to find. So, I reached out to some of my friends and asked them to share what makes them happy. Here’s the list they gave me, in their own words. In no particular order.

As I was typing this out, I was surprised to find very few duplicates. The people around me enjoy a variety of things in life, and although there are similarities, happiness comes in different forms to different people. And I think that is truly beautiful.

1. Sunflowers. “Every time I see a sunflower my face lights up and I get really giddy.”
2. Mountains. “The mountains bring out a sense of adventure in me that can't be tamed.”
3. Taking a shower.
4. Laughing with friends.
5. Remembering embarrassing moments about myself.
6. Playing/listening to music.
7. Coloring.
8. Looking at the sky and smiling.
9. Smelling the fresh air.
10. Singing super tight harmonies with people that cause harmonics.
11. “I love when I have fresh clean sheets, right out of the dryer and they’re all warm.”
12. Dark chocolate.
13. Smoothies.
14. Documentaries.
15. Concerts with my concert buddy.
16. My morning cup of coffee.
17. Lovey dovey grandparents.
18. “Finding an article of clothing that fits perfectly and makes me feel like a million bucks.”
19. Accomplishing a goal.
20. PIZZA.
21. Sunny days.
22. Bike rides.
23. Colorful hair.
24. Makeup and Jewelry.
25. Cats.
26. Family.
27. Feeling confident.
28. Soft pretzels.
29. Thrift stores.
30. The feeling of accomplishment.
31. The calmness right before a big thunderstorm.
32. “The whimsical feeling you get when you walk into a bookstore.”
33. Nice warm showers with music.
34. Finding a new fantastic song.
35. Hearing a good orchestra in songs.
36. Drives.
37. Cute animals.
38. Waking up before everyone else and watching the sunrise.
39. A clean house with the windows open on a nice day.
40. Sleeping under a mountain of fuzzy blankets when it’s cold out.
41. Driving with friends at night.
42. “Discovering new music, especially when I didn’t think I would be a fan.”
43. The smell of rain/wet earth.
44. Whenever the Royals win, but enough to get the 50% off online discount at Papa John’s.
45. Quarters. “Getting quarters as change/finding one on the ground makes me super happy.”
46. Listening to One Direction as I get ready/at night.
47. Music.
48. Painting canvases.
49. Singing along to High School Musical with your roommate.
50. Going to Applebee’s trivia night.
51. Curling up to a fireplace in the winter.
52. Falling asleep to the sound of rain at night.
53. Eating fresh fruit.
54. Having days off from work.
55. Getting to see old friends again.
56. Long hugs.
57. “I really love listening to people talk about what they’re passionate about. Anything from music to bird watching to comic books…I appreciate when people are passionate about things…it always brings a smile to my face.”
58. Thunderstorms at night.
59. A really luscious, rich red wine.
60. Sweating through a challenging workout.
61. When there is just enough milk in the carton for a bowl of cereal.
62. Dogs in general.
63. Attending mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NY. “It’s a must every time I visit.”
64. Pets waking me up in the morning.
65. Spending time with my daughter.
66. Hearing my grandson call me “Nona” and him telling me that he loves me.
67. Seeing my daughter happy and full of love.
68. Having money to pay bills and having plenty left over to buy what I want.
69. Church bells.
70. Great friends.
71. Winter, cold weather, lots of snow.
72. A great ending to a sad story.
73. Paperback books.
74. Unannounced visits from friends.
75. Finally laying down in bed after a long day.
76. Family holiday dinners.
77. “I really like when I do something I used to be pretty good at but haven’t done in months, and I still do well at it. Those, ‘still got it’ moments.”
78. El Monterey burritos.
79. Pretty sunsets.
80. The laughter of a baby/child.
81. Puppies.
82. The stars/planets.