The Little Things

I have depression and I find joy in the little things. I have to, or I'd drown. I am fighting a constant battle against my brain. So when I have some reprieve, I have trained myself to be happy about little good things that I can find and be happier than the average person would be about them. Things like unmatched crazy socks, sweaters with sleeves that are too long for my arms, the color purple, or even seeing ducks waddling around my college campus make me ridiculously happy. Several years ago they wouldn't have. I would have most likely ignored these things, or if they did make me happy, it was for maybe two seconds. Now I grin widely and laugh with delight about these things. And the joy is genuine. For a long time paying extra attention to the good things was something I made myself do as a coping strategy. Now the little things I notice actually make me happy. I feel like the happiness I feel about this little good things helps compensate for the other things. Yes, I get really depressed. But I also get really happy about things most people don't even notice. It's helped me to keep going more times than I can count, and I'm a happier and more positive person than I was before as a result. It can be tricky getting started but if you make it a habit it can help so much. I highly recommend it.