things that make me happy #1

Happiness.
​[ˈhapɪnəs]
​noun: the state of being happy.
​"she struggled to find happiness in her life."
synonyms: contentment · pleasure · contentedness · satisfaction · cheerfulness · cheeriness · merriment · merriness · gaiety · joy · joyfulness · joyousness · joviality · jollity · jolliness · glee

This is something a little bit different for me, but today whilst walking through the streets I grew up in, I had a thought. I knew it would be something I had to write down, as I could barely even comprehend it myself in that moment. 
​As humans, we innately feel as though 'happiness' is the feeling to strive for and that it is something to be achieved in our lifetimes. But what people don't always appreciate is that happiness is not a constant state. It is a feeling that can sometimes last merely seconds, and those seconds can be extraordinary in the moment that they are felt. Happiness is not something we can achieve and keep permanently. Life is about making mistakes and learning and growing and, well, living. Happiness can therefore never be permanent as we will spend our entire lives making mistakes and learning and growing, so how can we just expect to capture an emotion or a feeling and make it permanent? It is simply impossible, and I think we need to accept as humans that this is our reality, and that is okay. Perfection does not exist, therefore happiness can never be permanent. 

What we can strive for, however, is to create as happy an environment around us as possible. Being independent, surrounding ourselves with people that bring us joy and make us laugh and think, doing things that intrigue us and activate our brains - these are all things we can do to create a generally happier surrounding for ourselves. Giving ourselves the time and dedication we deserve, this is priceless.
​We can all be happy people - but we can't be happy all the time, and this is just a way of life. But by giving ourselves the 'tender love and care' we so deserve, we can create a space we feel more at peace in within our lives. 

What inspired me to write this post was a feeling that I experienced earlier in the day:
​I was walking to my parents house from the tube station, having just met up with a new found friend for a crepe and a chat in Hammersmith. As I walked down the station parade I was suddenly overwhelmed with this sudden feeling of pure bliss. It was fleeting, only lasting a few seconds, but my God, it was really something. I could feel the sun beaming on my face, the fabric on my skin, the breeze in my hair. I was looking at these buildings that I had been looking at for twenty-one years, and it suddenly made me think: I feel really happy to be here with myself in this moment in time. I don't want to change it. Just walking here, in this far too familiar part of London, I felt really at peace. And happy. And this really made me think; moments like these, of pure bliss and peace, really affect me. In the best possible way. They remind me that no matter what is going on in your life personally, moments like this can contribute to making you feel ​real again. I no longer want to take things for granted that feel 'obvious' or 'familiar' - it's those small moments that can sometimes really make the difference. So I want to try something - a new segment of this blog, something I can write as and when I feel it - a small list of things that make me happy in that moment, as simple as they may be. So, here's todays list:

1. Sitting on the district line, above the ground, watching the trees skim past and feeling the sun wash over your face. 

2. The feeling of a leather jacket, especially when you haven't been able to wear one for a long time. A layer like a turtle shell over my arms, my own piece of armour protecting me. 

3. Lying in the grass in the height of Summer, feeling the grass on you skin, and daisies on your fingertips.

4. Ealing Common, because it's where I grew up. It will always feel like a slice of home. 

5. Walking barefoot. Being able to feel the texture of the ground you're walking on, on the palms of your feet, affecting your skin.

If you've managed to get this far into the post, then thank you. x