If the photo of Sid is anything to go by, winning a race is probably it.
For those of us that don’t run, it’s probably not winning races. In fact, not running them at all is likely to make us happier.
The last few mornings have been absolutely blissful. The days are becoming noticeably longer with the sun peeking through the curtains earlier and earlier and the sun setting later in the evenings. At last, spring is coming!
The end of the winter is always a pleasing time for me. I view winter like I view smear tests: it is simply something we need to go through, I understand that it is beneficial and I accept that it is necessary. Yet acknowledging this does not make the season any easier to put up with. Winter, like smear tests, is something to be endured rather than enjoyed. And with both, I’m happiest when they are over.
In a recent survey by Great British Bingo, 1000 people were asked what made them happy. An overwhelming 19.4% of women claimed that family made them happy while the leading answer from 8.1% of men was… no, not that. It was food.
Here are the top five overall results:
Family 14.7%
Food 6.7%
Money 4.2%
Being alive 3.7%
Sunshine 2.7%
There were also the more selective answers such as ‘finishing the assignment that almost killed me’ and ‘not having to complete surveys’ which brought a smile to my face and made me, well, happy.
Of course Mike and the kids make me happy most of the time. But happiness can be found in so many more of the simpler things in life. Here are some of mine:
Nature – you can’t beat open green fields and a sea view
Peace – I don’t get much of it but when I do I tend to cherish it
Travel – I love to see new places
Reading – You can never have too many books, just not enough time to read them all
And for the fifth item on the list I would have to agree with the assignment-completing respondent above. I just submitted my fourth assignment of this year’s study and the relief I felt was palpable!
So apart from your family (because that answer would just be too easy), what are the top five things that make you happy?
I think the five things that make me happy (besides my family) are:
1. Sunshine – I really don’t do well in the winter months.
2. A good book – I love reading. Nothing beats a good book that you just can’t put down.
3. Music – love music, either uplifting or chillout.
4. The Countryside – I love the country. I’m such a country bumpkin at heart. My dream is to move to the West Country and own a small holdings.
5. Helping other – sounds a bit weird, but I love helping and teaching others.
Love your list! No, #5 doesn’t sound weird at all! I think it’s lovely and selfless. It made me very happy to read it!