A few weeks ago as I was under obscene amounts of stress due to spring semester finals approaching, I came across a video during a study break that has since stuck with me. A video on Vimeo about what makes people happy. This video helped me to truck on through finals week; reminding me that I would soon be able to thoroughly enjoy all of the things that bring happiness to my own life.
Today (June 6, 2012) while sitting at my local coffee shop, I found my mind wandering back to this video. I began thinking about how there are so many people in this world, and how each and every single person possesses his or her own unique story, whether good or bad. These are experiences that have shaped each individual into the person that they are today. I want to know what makes all of these different people happy, what brings a smile to their face.
My summer has been dedicated to finding inner peace and happiness, and this blog will capture the conversations I will have with people on the catalysts of their own happiness. Each day this summer I will have a conversation with a random stranger about what brings contentment to their life. From each conversation, I will take one statement that stands out, a statement that stuck with me and made me think, and use it to propel the next conversation. In the end, I hope to find a trend or some sort of common theme to the happiness of the people I encounter. I also hope that this will remind those who I talk to and you as the reader, that there is SO much to be happy for, and to cherish all of those reasons to smile.
You’ll notice throughout the conversations with the different people I run into, the bolded statements are the comments that I will be using for the next conversation due to their deep meaning or ambiguous implication. The underlined statements are the ones that came from the previous conversation.
WWOOF California 2014 
Awseome Endeavor! We should all reflect about happiness.
What is really great about this is that happiness is a fluid, dynamic, and complex emotion and the knowing the answer to that question can be as elusive to pin down as taking steps to obtaining contentment. Also, maybe you could spend some time thinking about our different senses. Many of our foundest memories are associated with smells, sounds, tastes, textures, and visions.
I can’t wait to read more.
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I’m enjoying your blog. I know for myself trying to ‘grow up’ as an adult, one of the hardest (yet most rewarding) processes we go through in life is defining our own happiness and gaining a perspective around what it feels like to be struggling, and how extraordinary it feels to get back up and have grown into something better from it.
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It will be interesting to see what type of answers people give. I have my own views of happiness after 50+ years on earth. It’s the little things. You have to have the mindset that even on days when your boss stresses you out, your thesis is due, and the kids are sick, there is still a world of beauty and joy to behold. For me, it is nature in all forms….family…..and food. Intentionally focusing on these things IS happiness for me.
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