Planting Happiness

Hey there, welcome to letsgrowhappy! I’ve started this tumblr as a way to increase happiness in my life and anyone else who may stumble upon my tumblr. Over the last while, I’ve been asking people in my life what makes them happy. I’ve also tried to figure out what makes me truly happy. Now I’d like to share these things with you here. Enjoy :)

[letsgrowhappy]

Throughout my life I've learned that laughter is the best medicine. Being able to make light of struggle makes it so much more bearable. This video makes me so happy because it talks about the joy indigenous Canadians feel through jokes, while mentioning things that have posed a threat to indigenous peoples and cultures. Also, those are definitely the 5 moves the ladies in my family do when we're all goofing around.

[letsgrowhappy]

Poetry is such an accessible medium and it can be found everywhere. It provides a space for expression, release, celebration, and community. It affords people the opportunity to speak back to their experiences and histories, and for others to gain understanding of realities that are not their own.

Although this poem makes me feel shaky and weak, I know that I must educate myself on the current realities and past experiences of people around the world. I understand that to be a safer and more inclusive person, I need to be willing to be uncomfortable, to sit and acknowledge my privileges, then do something about it. This poem reminds me that in order to appreciate any good, we must remember and appreciate the bad.

[letsgrowhappy]

The fact that my new roommates have this up in the bathroom so that everyone who uses that bathroom might stop and think for a moment about their actions and maybe even address some of their privileges. Conscientiousness, humility, and community make me happy.

[letsgrowhappy]

Singing our hearts out to Abba while making sushi with my mom, grandma, and aunty. An awesome bunch of babes if I do say so myself.

[letsgrowhappy]

Doesn't that look like the funnest thing ever?? Decreasing world suck with positive information or yummy treats... This idea makes me so happy. Perhaps I will give it a go next Halloween.

[letsgrowhappy]

Positive prank calls. What a nifty idea.

[letsgrowhappy]

I asked my mom what makes her happiest. She said "you and your brothers."

So, here is my favorite family photo. We could barely keep it together for this, how silly it was trying to fit us all into the picture, scrambling to be as close as possible. You can see me there trying not to cry from all the love. I think I can safely say that my nuclear and found family is my greatest source of happiness.

[letsgrowhappy]

Volunteering makes me happy because it makes me more acutely aware of the world outside of my own experience and allows me to contribute to a greater purpose. Also, combining book titles with awkward phrases is super fun.

[letsgrowhappy]

Tiny bannock is more fun and delicious than regular bannock, I think. Tiny things in general are pretty much the greatest. Cooking for people I care for fills me with feelings of pride, love, and purpose.

[letsgrowhappy]

Fluffy homemade scarves on chilly days and seeing smiles in peoples' eyes.

[letsgrowhappy]

Knowing that well over 1,500,000 people have seen this video and now have a better understanding of the experiences of gender and sexual diverse individuals makes me happy because the world has become that much safe and comfortable for me and so many people like me.

[letsgrowhappy]

Playing dominoes makes me happy, especially when I have a really difficult hand to work with, and even more so when I get to play with my whole family.

[letsgrowhappy]

The videos people made in response to this song make me so happy. Seeing joy all around the world warms my heart so much. My baby cousins and I spin and jump and dance and wiggle to this song over and over again. Constant giggles and smiles everywhere.