So I wrote the other day about my frustration with the feeling of constant negativity in the air. Today I’m going to focus on how you can get your happy back. It’s certainly not a cure-all for the actual problems going on in the world, but it can help you get through each day a little easier.

First, I’m taking my cues from my two year old twin neighbors. They are experts on “getting your Happy on”. I was over there for some playtime the other day when Vivi started chanting “Night Queen! Night Queen!” I was a bit perplexed until Anna, her Mom, looked to me & said, “she means “Queen of the Night” (from Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute”.) I was a bit surprised by this, (not because it’s not a wonderful opera, it IS), but because she’s two!! Most 2 year olds don’t go around requesting Mozart. So Anna put the “Queen of the Night” aria on YouTube and both Vivi & her twin brother Hammy started watching it, both enamored with each note Diana Damrau sang into the vocal stratosphere. It clearly made them both very happy & transported them someplace where notes far beyond what an average person can hit were beautifully sung and where the music is as melodic and transfixing as (to quote Shakespeare), “a winged messenger of heaven”.

So that was one example of how the little things can really start your day in the right direction. That same day, my fabulous Aunt Sandy texted me and basically came up with a gratitude/positivity challenge. Any time one of us thought of something or someone we admired, or loved, or that made us happy, grateful or inspired, we would text it to each other. No obligation to respond & no obligation to expound on that thought. Just a simple word was all that was required. So we started. And by the end of the day, we had gone from cheesecake to Jon Secada, clouds to Wimoweh. Justin Trudeau’s humanitarianism, Keith Urban’s hair & Michelle Obama’s EVERYTHING were also subjects we hit upon. We decided that maybe we should devote whole days to topics as we were getting rather ADD on each other & jumping around from person, place, thing, song or movie really quickly & then finally we agreed we should probably just devote a whole weekend to doing it in person while binge watching Gilmore Girls and eating cheesecake & meatloaf with mashed potatoes.  But that exchange with her gave me so much “joy rising” (to use an Oprah term), that I will probably save it & go back to reference it when I need to remind myself what it is I’m grateful for and inspired by.

I recommend everyone pick a day & do this with someone. It’s a fantastic way to challenge yourself to see all the good in the world and appreciate all that you have & all the gifts that have been given to you. Just remember to bring a mophie or extra phone charging chord with you because you will eat up your phone battery. And don’t try this at home if you don’t have unlimited texting. It’ll be very costly.

Other quick easy ways to find the joy in the simple things are often easily found right at your fingertips. Like panda videos for example. I have NEVER seen a panda video I didn’t LOVE! Heck, sometimes I turn on the Panda Cam at The National Zoo & just watch them go about their daily life. I tell myself I’m doing it “for the twins”, but I’m really doing it because I just love watching those big furry animals roll around awkwardly & then get back up & roll down another hill. Nothing is better than that. Baby panda videos are pretty awesome too. Man they can be pretty cute when they finally fatten up & grow hair. It brings me such immense joy.

Also, sites like “Awkward Family Photos” are THE BEST!! There is truly nothing better than people voluntarily posting their personal family pics or pics of people they know (or maybe even don’t know) looking supremely awkward & cheesy. It’s a real day maker right there. So the phrase “it’s the little things” applies here you see. It really doesn’t take much to bring out your joy & get your happy back. Find whatever is your “NIGHT QUEEN” and watch it over and over. It can be really, really GOOD STUFF!