What makes you happy?

This was the opening question I used to jump-start conversation in one of my advanced adult ESL classes this week. I learned a lot of things both about and from my students in the conversation that ensued, not the least of which is that there is a very distinct difference between the things that you feel happy doing, experiencing, or having, and what it is about those things that actually makes you feel happy. As a class we came to the conclusion that if you really want to know and understand yourself, you must get at this second and often much more difficult question.

In my last post, I rambled a bit about how simply *happy* I have been this week, and listed a few of the reasons why. But these “reasons” only addressed the things that made me happy, rather than what it is about these things that have had such undeniable power to fill me up with so much joy. So I decided to give a little more thought to the things that have recently made me happy, and encouraged my students to do the same. Here’s a bit of what I came up with in my own reflections…

I was happy this week because it was snowy.

What makes me happy:

Experiencing beauty that is pure, natural, and utterly beyond my influence or control

Giving into the urge to simply *play* and feel like a little girl again

I was happy this week because I got to teach an adult class at my school.

What makes me happy:

Getting to pour myself into *women* and connect with them on a heart level

Building relationships and offering people what they want and need, rather than simply instructing them

Being appreciated

I was happy this week because I have spent a lot of time anticipating the arrival of my brother and sister in Korea.

What makes me happy:

Knowing that I am loved and cared about

Showing my love and affection in physical and tangible ways, rather than solely by my words

Being part of an intimate and affectionate family with whom I can be completely authentic and real

I was happy this week because I got to go to an advocacy and prayer meeting for an issue that matters to me.

What makes me happy:

Being connected to like-minded individuals

Being a part of something bigger than myself

Feeling that my actions are in line with my values, passion, and heart

Being enabled, and enabling others, to make a positive impact on a hurting world

For me, making this kind of list is about more than just self-discovery. It is about acknowledging the desires of my heart, and having eyes opened to see the ways that God shows me His grace in meeting those desires; it’s about recognizing my created purpose and the hand of God at work in my life.

More than anything, it’s about understanding JOY-- not only in order to pursue it, but in order to be driven to thankfulness for it.