A List of Small Joys

• When your car blinker is in sync with the car blinker in front of you in the turn lane
• When passersby accidentally walk to the same rhythm of the music you're listening to
• When someone stops by to talk to you after you've just completed a project/action instead of in the middle of one
• When someone suggests that restaurant that you've been craving all day as a potential dinner plan
• Going to the grocery store and not counting every item that went in because you know there's enough in the bank account to cover most anything the grocery store can throw at it this week
• Running into a friend when you're running low-pressure errands
• Your favorite spot being open at the coffee shop you frequent or similar space
• An in-depth conversation about one of your favorite books/movies
• A recommendation from someone whose tastes you trust
• Actually and intentionally sitting down to enjoy a good book
• The green lights favoring you for almost the whole trip
• When a stranger ahead of you offers their place in line when they haven't decided what they want 
• The smile of someone who receives an unexpected compliment from you
• A new update from someone that you follow online, be it a webcomic, blog, or whathaveyou
• A friend genuinely asking you how you're doing
• An invitation to spend time with people you enjoy being with
• Clean carpet
• New shoes
• Feeling hydrated
• A country highway with no one in front of you
• Your favorite sweater
• When the volume setting is at either an even number or multiple of five AND it's actually at the volume you'd like it to be
• An unexpected free evening
• Feeling confident in new clothes
• Finding someone that is reading the same book you are at the same time and being able to discuss it
• Someone pulling out of a parking spot just as you need one
• A good listener
• A hug that someone really means
• Having just enough of that last ingredient for the recipe that you're making
• Seeing someone pick up trash that wasn't their job to take care of
• Chairs that slide out smoothly and quietly in public places
• Your favorite brand on sale the exact time you were looking to purchase it
• Remembering to run the errand when you're out and nearby instead of after you return home
• A physical letter from someone that loves you
• When your friends are doing well
• Seeing those that you love talk about something that they're passionate about
• Laughing about an old inside joke
• Finding a new favorite artist
• When your lucky/confidence boosting underwear is clean on the day that you really need them
• When someone remembers your favorite food/beverage item and can either order it for you or suggest it
• Finding the item that you were looking for more or less immediately
• Realizing that the fear of an event was worse than the event itself
• That particular feeling when you see that person that was driving like an ass pulled over by a cop
• Donating, even something small, to a good cause
• Learning something new
• Clearing out items that you don't need to hang on to anymore
• When your shoes don't squeak in the otherwise silent hallway
• Pretending to sleep in the morning when you're not quite ready to talk to people just yet and being successful
• Having a cup of your favorite tea/coffee
• A friendly-competitive board/card/video game
• A rainy day when you don't have to be anywhere
• Starting the snowball fight
• The project you were working on turning out better than expected
• Finding that perfect gift for someone
• Those small moments where you start to see your hard work paying off when learning something new
• That instant where your understanding of a situation shifts from what you think is happening to fully grasping what it really is, rocking the foundations of your assumptions and causing reconsideration of other elements that you have long since thought were cemented and stagnant
• Recognition from another party of a job well done
• Creating a plan for the future that is directed but still vague enough to let life happen
• Checking chores and errands off of the to-do list
• When you can find your favorite pen
• No line at the checkout
• Finding your favorite stuffed animal again or a picture from a pleasant memory
• Surprise (welcome) kisses--can also include the pet variety
• Reflecting on the good things in your life
• Maintaining a balance between being aware of your faults to actively change them and blaming yourself for having them in the first place