When Life Gives You Free Candy, Take It

Life is made up of moments of emotions. Inevitably, there are sad and angry moments, but if you look closely enough, you can almost always find some small moments of happiness that have nothing to do with having stacks of cash – in fact, many of them are free. Below are some of my favourite snippets of life that fill my heart with joy.

The earthy aroma after rain

The fresh smell of earth after rain is the smell of nature. Rain washes away the dirt, leaving the grass greener and cleaner, and wild flowers dewier than ever before. The technical term is “Petrichor”, which you can read about on BBC News here. I am not too much into the scientific explanations. For me, it is the smell of spring, of hope, and of happiness. I love taking a walk and embrace nature after a rain, even if my shoes may get wet.

Waking up in a cozy bed under a blanket, with sun pouring in from the outside

It has to be a lazy Sunday for me to do this, which is why it is extra precious. To be honest, I have trouble staying in bed if I have many to-dos on my mind, so this really only happens when I give myself permission to fully relax.

I love seeing the sunbeams escaping through the space between my curtain panels and leaving some bright spots on my furniture. I can feel the warmth that radiates from the sun, and the warmth hiding under my blanket.

When I make someone laugh

I am not very good at telling jokes. Too often, a joke that sounds so great in my head turns out to be a leaf that falls into a river when I say it out loud.

But very occasionally, I can still manage to say something funny, even though sometimes it is not even intentional. Whatever the case, I love seeing somebody laugh because of something I said. Laughter could be a cure of diseases, and it makes the world so much brighter and happier.

A good conversation that lasts so long you forget about the time

I love a good conversation. Whether it is with a friend, a family member, or even someone you just randomly bump into at an event, you know it is a good conversation when you forget about the time. Words form sentences, and sentences flow out of your mouth so naturally that, before you knew it, the sun is already rising.

Hearing a song I really like while walking down the street or window shopping

It is definitely among the best feelings when a lovely piece of music I love wafts through the air when I least expect it to. It is a wonderful surprise and a pleasant gift to my ears.

Hugging your favourite stuffed animal

For those of us who still has a three-year-old living inside our hearts, you know what I am talking about. The little (or big) body of the stuffed animal just seems to be able to heal anything while you temporarily slip back into childhood, so effortlessly.

Seeing my suggestions/recommendation adopted and put into use

This one may be a little bit of an ego thing, but I have to admit that I feel valued when somebody nods to my suggestions and actually put them into use. It could be as small as “this blue shirt fits you better”, or it could be actual corporate strategies implemented in market for the world to see. Regardless of the scale, these small successes in life bring me satisfaction and happiness.

Being able to provide directions when people ask me on the street

This one may be similar to the one above in essence, because in both instances, I feel useful and valued. I also especially like this one because I am not someone who is naturally good with directions. As a matter of fact, I get lost pretty easily. That’s why I especially cherish the moments when I am actually able to be of use to someone.

Smell of freshly baked bread

I love the smell of freshly baked bread. The crusty outside, the aroma, the soft inside, and the springiness once you take a bite, all are so enticing and lovely.

My favourite bread is a local potato and scallion bread made by my local bakery. This recipe is the closest I can find, though it doesn’t have scallions.

Receiving compliments

I am human and I love receiving compliments, okay! Just let me! Of course, empty compliments don’t mean much to me. What I cherish the most is the recognition I receive for something I have done that I personally feel is a little special.

Giving genuine compliments

While it is pleasant to receive compliments, it is equally pleasant, if not more, to give genuine compliments. It brings you closer with the other person, makes the other person feel good, which in turn makes you feel good as well. Note the importance of “genuine”. Fake compliments cannot pull anybody’s heartstring.

Winning a prize unexpectedly

Of course this feels amazing! It doesn’t have to be a lottery, though if it ever comes my way I will hold out both of my hands to embrace it!

To increase you chance of winning a prize, I suggest that you enter online contests. Believe it or not, those prizes are real, and the odds may not be as bad as you think they are. If you never win? Well, you won’t lose much time any way, since entering these contests don’t take too much time. But if you win, well, congratulations! You now have some unique experiences to cherish!

Finishing a really nice workout

In addition to nourishing our souls, we also need to take care of our bodies. You can certainly derive a sense of happiness and satisfaction from a really nice workout session. Hey, look at what I just accomplished!

For me personally, I find that the first seven or eight minutes of any workout session are the most difficult. However, once I get over that initial hump and my adrenalin starts pumping, I am in the zone!

Doing something nice for someone

It can be something small, or something big. The gesture counts.

Finding deals on items that I will buy anyway

This is somewhat related to personal finance, because we are talking about deals! Who doesn’t like a good deal anyway?

To find out about more money saving tips and tricks, you may want to check out my articles here!

Stepping onto a soft rug coming out of the shower

I love how my feet feel when I step onto a soft rug. It’s one of those little pleasures in life that I absolutely treasure.

Hope

Where there’s hope, there’s life.

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Hope gets you through tough periods of your life and enables you to see the rainbow at the end of the tunnel. It is invisible but heart-warming like a bowl of warm soup in the winter, or refreshing like that glass of lemonade under the scorching sun.

Anticipation

I am a big planner. As a result, anticipating for an event, whether it is a vacation or a nice night-out, is just as exhilarating as the actual event itself. Revel in your anticipation, and share your excitement for the future with people around you. You will be able to bring happiness into your life well before the actual event.

Final words

Life has its challenges, but it is also sprinkled with happiness that money can’t buy. Next time when life gives you a piece of sweet little candy, seize it, and savour it.

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10 thoughts on “When Life Gives You Free Candy, Take It”

  1. This is such a beautiful post, Bella! I wanted to both smile and tear up as I was reading, as life has been very difficult for the past year and a half… It made me realize that I need to take stock of my blessings and the lovely things in my life more often! xxx Bianca

    Reply
  2. Though you couldn’t see it, I was smiling while I read this. I seem to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day and forget these little gems of enjoyment. Thank you for the reminder! A happy life is lived in happy moments!

    Reply
  3. Aww, I love everything on this list! I want to add a few of my own:
    -That moment when you take your first sip of coffee/tea/other favorite beverage and it is just the way you like it
    -hanging out in a pile of warm, clean-smelling laundry
    -Seeing someone unexpectedly on the street that you haven’t seen in forever and how excited the both of you are in that moment

    Great list!

    Reply

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