This book is similar to the idea of a gratitude journal, which I talked about in an earlier post. Written by Barbara Ann Kipfer, 14,000 things to be happy about is simply a list of 14,000 things, whether it’s a place, a moment, a feeling, a person or an object, that make us smile. The book represents 40 years of the author recording all the things that made her happy. It’s something great to flip through on a grey day and the main purpose of it is for us to realize that happiness comes from noticing and enjoying the little things in life. It’s impossible not to smile when I read it and each entry brings back tons of good memories that I thought I forgot.
Some of my favourite entries in the book include:
- echoes in a cave
- “Happy Birthday!” yelled as you enter a crowded room
- the book that made a difference
- all 1440 minutes in a day
- cobblestone streets
- blowing bubble gum bubbles
- afternoon tea in London
- being soothed when awakened from a bad dream at 3 am
- street hockey
- a bed of fresh moss
- dozens of places to curl up with a book
- letting the guy in a hurry cut in front of you in line