Reasons to be Cheerful

It’s the holiday season, the season for glad tidings and cheer! I bet many people think they don’t want to deal with the proverbial “comfort and joy.” So for all of the Grinches, the naysayers, the Scrooges, and the Negative Nancies, this post is for you. 

It’s also for the depressed, the depleted, the mildly annoyed, the pissed off, and those whose give a sh*t buckets are entirely empty. The optimist and the half-full people will love it too.  

Here it is, 100 Reasons to be cheerful.

  1. Hedgehogs
  2. Quokkas
  3. Your dog falling asleep on your chest at night
  4. Your teenage son laughing at one of your jokes
  5. Shiny kitchen sink
  6. Humming dishwasher
  7. Hot towels out of the dryer
  8. Library books
  9. ELECTRONIC library books
  10. Siri/ Alexa/ Google Assistant
  11. Chimes from a mantle clock
  12. Your mom’s hands
  13. The internet
  14. Crushing your fitness goals
  15. The unconditional love of God
  16. Snowflakes
  17. A full moon on a clear night
  18. Old friends
  19. New friends
  20. Singing at the top of your lungs.
  21. Elf
  22. It’s Christmas Charlie Brown (and all of the other TV Specials from the ’60s and ’70s)
  23. Hearing your favorite Prince song on the radio
  24. Baby birdies
  25. Completing your Holiday Shopping
  26. Delicious smelling candles
  27. Crackling fire
  28. Deeply meditative yoga asana
  29. Your kid’s homework is all done.
  30. Going to bed early
  31. Squishy pants/ squishy socks
  32. Your tribe
  33. Netflix/ Hulu/ YouTube TV
  34. African Violets
  35. Colleen’s laughing baby video on Facebook.
  36. Brooklyn’s 6th Princess themed birthday party.
  37. The Muppets
  38. Nostalgia
  39. Your dog’s smile
  40. Your partner’s smile
  41. Smiles in general
  42. Rumi/ Rilke/ ee cummings
  43. Poetry
  44. Your favorite yoga teacher
  45. Your small group
  46. Your church family
  47. Your book club
  48. Memory foam mattress topper
  49. Sheets so soft they feel like they are made from angel’s wings.
  50. Angels
  51. Central heating!
  52. Good hair day
  53. Photo albums
  54. Smartphones
  55. My dad’s singing voice
  56. Julie’s singing voice
  57. God’s forgiveness over and over and over again
  58. Snoopy
  59. Breath
  60. Work
  61. The first sip of your fav coffee drink
  62. Chocolate chip cookies out of the oven
  63. Onion rings with ranch dressing.
  64. Piggy Park Little Joe Sandwiches
  65. The way that cardinals always show up in pairs
  66. Christmas lights in the neighbors’ yards
  67. Water bottles that keep your water icy cold
  68. Music
  69. How your best friend just ‘gets’ you
  70. Period pieces both TV and film
  71. Electricity
  72. Squirrels
  73. Willy Wonka
  74. Silly string
  75. Peace of Mind
  76. Bananas
  77. A hard work out
  78. Dancing in the kitchen
  79. Technology
  80. The perfect hair products
  81. The perfect temperature of the bathwater
  82. Beef stew with crunchy bread
  83. Getting an A on your final exam
  84. Trying hard and seeing the results.
  85. God’s spirit running through you
  86. Minions
  87. Other peoples’ toddlers
  88. Delicious naps in the middle of the day
  89. Dozens of super-soft yarn skeins
  90. Enjoying your fiancé’s silly sense of humor
  91. Vince Giraldi’s “It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown!” album
  92. Watching your goofy cat play with your delightful dog
  93. Fat snowflakes
  94. Pedicures
  95. Massages
  96. Holiday Traditions
  97. Star Wars movies
  98. Star Trek Next Generation with Sir Patrick Stewart
  99. The Beatles
  100. Jesus

Just for today

When I start to get discouraged, or grief tries to lodge in my heart, I will start listing off reasons to be cheerful. I will embody the childlike spirit of Buddy the Elf and spread cheer wherever I go.

Prayer

Renew my mind, oh God, help me see that joy is my true nature despite my circumstances. You have planted this joy in my heart. Unite my mind, body, and emotions to this joy. Remind me to simply be.  

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