How to Build a Happiness Box

Want to be happy? Make yourself a happiness box. It's a box that you can open every time you're feeling down.

How to Build a Happiness Box:

Step 1: Get a box
Step 2: Get some kittens
Step 3: Put the kittens in the box

Finished.

Seems easy enough. So how do we stop the inevitable?  In a few moments your kittens will jump out of the box and climb all over your computer. You will have to feed your kittens, make sure they have water and play with them. Things make you happy for a few moments, but in the end, you end up having to devote your time to take care about them.


You see, we all get down sometimes. We wonder if we're good enough, if we're on the right track. We wonder if we're really happy and if not, usually, we buy things to make us happy. We "deserve" that chocolate croissant or the vanilla ice cream. We say to ourselves, do you know what would make me happy right now? An ice cream. I will go get one.

But happiness indulgence is fleeting. It carries a false sense of accomplishment, just like stuffing kittens into a box, taking a picture of it, and posting it on Facebook (Hey everyone! See what I did!). Because now what? You're back to square one again.

The trick about creating a happiness box, is putting things inside it that are real. Happiness that cannot be stolen from you (like your new bike). Things like: your abilities, your education, the feeling you get when you do a good job, a volunteer experience, and the long road you've come from (not the long road that looms ahead).

Here are some other ideas:

• A member of your family that you like, or hell, your whole family 
• The way the sunlight peeks through the window 
• A cold breeze 
• The fact that you just went on a 5h hike up a mountain 2 days ago 
• An inspirational quote 
• The fact that you can make a loaf of bread by scratch and maybe you should wake up and go do that. 

What is in your happiness box?