Happiness Makers

Image from google images - heart

this year has been somewhat of an awakening to me. i have really been on quite a journey in my mind (why i must love james allen's as a man thinketh book) and i'm so happy to be experiencing it. before this journey started, or at least before i took a turn on this fork of the road, i was feeling overwhelmed with life. i felt like i was barely getting by and the best i could do was the bare minimum. and then it seems like a little at a time i have been given small insights that i keep gathering and thinking about and something wonderful is evolving. life is much more exciting and meaningful. and as michelle quoted, i am finally "designing a life i love."

there is a lot that has gone in to this transformation (and believe me, i am only catching the vision and don't pretend to have gone through the transformation completely)...some of it too personal, some of it just too long to write. but one thing i continue to think about is this idea of HAPPINESS MAKERS.

i found a quote by Henry Ward Beecher that says:
"Blessed are the happiness makers."
i love that. so simple. but this idea of being a Happiness Maker is taking on a life of its own for me. we all know these people. those who seem to have the ability of uplifting everyone around them. you always feel better after talking to them, even if you can't remember what they said. people like being around them. they seem to have it together even if they swear they don't. and they themselves are happy.

i am developing a list of things that i think make up a Happiness Maker. this is rough and will probably be ongoing for years to come, but here goes:

Happiness Makers do the small things that make life special.
Happiness Makers give freely, without expectations.
Happiness Makers smile at people.
Happiness Makers look people in the eyes when talking to them.
Happiness Makers think of others.
Happiness Makers are sincere.
Happiness Makers delight in delighting others.
Happiness Makers laugh at themselves.
Happiness Makers live the simplicity of the gospel, even when it's hard.
Happiness Makers work hard, not necessarily because they love to, but because they know it's worth it.
if Happiness Makers have someone on their mind, they find out why.
Happiness Makers are calm.
Happiness Makers don't have a lot of "i meant to do that's" in life...they do what they say and what they think to do.
Happiness Makers are friendly.
Happiness Makers send Good Mail.
Happiness Makers go the extra mile unbegrudgingly.
Happiness Makers are always learning.
Happiness Makers listen carefully. they listen to the still, small voice. and they listen to what others are really saying.
Happiness Makers give others a feeling of safety or reprieve.
Happiness Makers are positive.
Happiness Makers have beautiful thought gardens.
Happiness Makers have hope.
Happiness Makers get that making happiness for others is what truly makes happiness for them. (those who lose their life shall find it).
Happiness Makers don't feel sorry for themselves.
Happiness Makers are grateful.
Happiness Makers understand that everyone is special.
Happiness Makers are not martyrs.
Happiness Makers are patient.
Happiness Makers are kind.
Happiness Makers quietly go about doing things for others.
Happiness Makers make life better for everyone around them just because of who they are.
Happiness Makers are forgiving.
Happiness Makers love seeing other people smile.
Happiness Makers give people the benefit of the doubt.
Happiness Makers trust in God.
Happiness Makers write thank you cards.
Happiness Makers are honest.
Happiness Makers love life!

now Happiness Makers better be allowed to have bad days and not feel like doing any of these things! (or else i'll never really be one). but i think the difference is they don't let those things get them in a rut or take the "happiness making" out of them. i also think that being a Happiness Maker takes practice. but as you start to practice it you want more of it. life is good to Happiness Makers, no matter what one's circumstances are, because it's about having a Happiness Maker attitude.

so that's my list so far. quite a lot for me to live up to! thankfully i have a lifetime to become a true Happiness Maker. i'm grateful for the Happiness Makers in my life that have stepped in just at the right time. sometimes they didn't even know they were doing so. but they made a phone call on the day i needed it. or they went out of their way in a moment that made all the difference in my life. i think this is some of "the stuff life is made of."

what about you...have you ever had a Happiness Maker step into your life at just the right time? what do you think makes a Happiness Maker? i'd sincerely LOVE to know.