It’s been a good Christmas Day. That’s the first time I’ve been able to say that and mean it in about ten years. Up until now, I’ve spent so much time worrying about what we didn’t have that there was no enjoyment in the day at all. It was just another day of stress designed to remind me that I wasn’t as successful with my life as I wanted to be. I also realize now that I’ve always compared these Christmases to the ones we had when I was a child… when I didn’t have any responsibilities except to enjoy the day. And when I wasn’t doing that I was busy telling myself that next year things would be better. Not once in the last ten years did I just sit down and enjoy the day as it was for what it was. Until today.

There’s definitely something to this whole living in the moment thing. Having experienced it once, it’s a feeling I want more of in the coming year.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for looking forward, or looking back to some extent. Accepting each minute as it the gift that it is creates an amazing feeling of peace in the moment. But the historian in me still wants to remember and look at the past and dissect it to know what I can do better in the next moment. And the optimist in me still wants to look forward and plan for tomorrow so that all my future moments can be as amazing as this one.

The trick for me is going to be in finding a balance between remembering, planning, and doing. And remembering to enjoy it as it happens, not file it away under the “I’ll think about it tomorrow” category.

For today, I’ll enjoy the feeling of peace and accept this gift for what it was. Stress-free, worry-free days don’t come often enough for me. My path isn’t that smooth just yet. But I’m getting there, and for that I’m very thankful.

I was out shopping today and it really hit me how unhappy everyone in the store was. No one smiled, and every person that I saw was looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. I, of course, was acting like my usual childlike self smiling at the snow, singing along with the Christmas music, and smiling away. No one smiled back, and when I marvelled at that to my son, he said that Christmas is not a happy time, it’s a stressful time so no one’s happy about it.

It’s probably a sign of how far I’ve grown, but I just don’t get it. Either that or I’m extremely naive, and while I may act like a big kid, I’m pretty sure I’ve been around the block enough times to know what’s what. And I still don’t get it… How can you not be happy when everything’s covered in a fresh blanket of white, you’re out with your family, and you’ve got money to spend or at least enough of a balance on the ol’ plastic to give your kids a Christmas?

That trip really got me thinking about what it takes to be happy, and how do we go about finding happiness in our lives.

I think that too many people have forgotten that happiness has to come from within. It’s not about how much money we have or how many cars are in the driveway or whether you’ve got a 42 inch plasma screen on the wall. Sure those things are nice to have, but they can’t make you happy in and of themselves.

I read something the other day, and for the life of me I can’t remember where, but it was that maybe we should be searching for inner peace and a sense of contentment with life as it is now, instead of that all-to-elusive happiness. And that really resonated with me. (If anyone knows who wrote this, please leave a note in the comments with a link. I know it was on a blog but I can’t remember whose it was and I’m really sorry for that.)

So how do we find that sense of contentment?

Well, we can always start with decluttering. Give away the crap that we’ve bought to make us happy, that really doesn’t even come close. Or sell it on ebay and pay down the balance on the plastic with the extra cash.

Another thing that can make us happy is doing something nice for someone else. But think hard before you do a random act of kindness for a stranger. Gretchen over at The Happiness Project has a really good post on why you shouldn’t be doing random acts of kindness, and it’s generating a lot of discussion.

Finally, you can, and should, find something to do that you love and can totally throw your energy into. And if you need more ideas, Marelisa at the Abundance Blog has a great post on tips for being joyously happy.

Oh, one more thing… Go ahead and smile! Your face won’t break, and you might actually like it.

Your comments and feedback make me happy. Please leave one and tell me what makes you happy. Go on… I dare ya