Happiness Is...

Benjamin Franklin is quoted to have said: “Happiness consists more in small pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that seldom happens during one’s life.”

Searching

I am finding as life goes on, especially life with macular degeneration, I am often looking for something. Whether it be “where the heck did I put the car keys” or the new bank statement that needs to be dealt with, I am always looking. Is my search for these elusive items hindered by the slowly diminishing clarity of things in my daily life or the challenges of forgetfulness in my advancing years? Quite honestly, it is probably both.

Mindfulness is surely necessary in my world. Being mindful of where I place whatever important items will most likely be needed to get through my day. It never hurts to state this intent out loud, so I actually hear it as I think it. My theory is, I have thought about it and I have stated it, so surely this brain will retain this pertinent information and avoid any chaos at a later time. I am also an extreme list maker and adding their placement on that list does not hurt.

A happy day

My daily “happy-place” often centers around checking off the items on my list of the day. Giving myself a sense of accomplishment, a job well done. Even if my list centers around mundane things, such as emptying the dishwasher, starting the laundry, or watering the plants, I look forward to marking these off. I take pride in accomplishing my daily tasks and most certainly use this method to work towards my goal of earning “play time” each day.

My “play time” involves painting, drawing, sketching, or coloring. With my eyes affected by macular degeneration, I constantly am aware of what I see and what I can create. This makes my day so much brighter in truly every way.

Looking ahead

Benjamin Franklin’s words about true happiness being found in everyday pleasures ring so true for me. As I go through each day, marking off my “chores” on my list, I can not help but think ahead to what is next today. What project will be started and how will I go about creating it, this is always running in my mind.

I try not to look too far ahead in the future. In the big scheme of life, I have no idea what will become of me and my true vision. I do know that if I start to overthink the future, I can get really bogged down and depressed. My goal is to live in the present day, happily creating new projects that fill my heart with joy. I will focus on the now and let the future wait for me. Time will tell what is in store for me when I get there.

Until then, today is where I am taking small pleasures in the everyday aspects of my life. Tomorrow is just another day.