little things, little ways, little moments

It probably goes without saying that everybody wants to find happiness. Who wouldn't like to be happy all the time? But life isn't that way, is it? And maybe it isn't meant to be. After all, if we never felt sorrow and distress, would we really appreciate happiness—or even recognize it? Religious leader James E. Faust put it this way: "Happiness is not given to us in a package that we can just open up and consume. Nobody is ever happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rather than thinking in terms of a day, we perhaps need to snatch happiness in little pieces, learning to recognize the elements of happiness and then treasuring them while they last." 

That may be part of the secret to the pursuit of happiness—to savor the "little pieces of happiness" when they come along. It may not be as difficult or elusive as it seems. Surely we've had enough personal experience and divine counsel to know that there are steps we can take, habits we can form, things we can do that—while they may not guarantee happiness—at least greatly increase our chances.

Ask anyone who seems genuinely happy, and they will tell you it's a choice—sometimes a daily choice. That means being positive in our thoughts, words, and actions. It means looking for the good and, in some cases, overlooking the bad.

As we do, we will find moments of joy and little pieces of happiness all around us. One man has found that listening to some beautiful music always brings him joy. A family makes it a point to look for the sunset every evening. A woman discovered happiness in doing at least one little thing for someone else each day—sending a thoughtful text or making a phone call to see how a loved one is doing. Each is a small moment, but they add up to become great treasures. 

Your pursuit of happiness can be that simple. Happiness, you'll discover, is right there in front of you and even inside you—in little things, little ways, little moments, little pieces of happiness.

Lloyd D. Newell