Happiness Is . . .

I am an open book. Whether I'm basking in sunshine or weathering a storm, I lay it all out there.

A glance back at some recent Recipes for Life posts confirms that my "smile umbrella" has sprung a few leaks over the past year. I used this forum to moan a bit about fatigue, a spell of low spirits, and a recent skirmish with anxiety in the hope that sharing might encourage others. I figure readers will either take comfort in knowing they're not alone or else heave a sigh of relief that they're not That Person.

Well, it's time for some happy talk. So dive in for the latest in practical and research-based formulas for reclaiming bright spirits in a world that feeds our fears and insecurities as if it were tossing peanuts to hungry zoo animals.

First, the basic premise: Happiness doesn't surge through our lives like a river, with a single-minded, insistent current. It's more akin to ocean waves that ebb and flow. For some of us the flow pattern is consistent, the invigorating power easily harnessed. For others it's more elusive.

So, what to do when you need to tap into joy and Charlie Brown's advice to cuddle a warm puppy just isn't doing it for you?

According to Professor Laurie Santos, who teaches a course called The Science of Well-Being, much of happiness stems from simply establishing healthy practices and routines.

Priorities are important since we can easily fall prey to mis-wanting things, as if they were magically transformative, like the "Eat Me" cake in Alice's Wonderland: if only I had enough cash flow to visit England…to remodel my outdated kitchen...to have a private physician on-call.

Another trap lies in thinking we need to make major changes in our life circumstances in order to increase the frequency of those happiness surges.

Studies show that everyday practices play a much bigger role in our sense of contentment than those big bucket list items. Making social connections for mutual benefit, taking time for gratitude, focusing on the present moment

A recent newsletter from author Mary DeMuth offers a doable suggestion for upping your opportunities to nurture joy: Once a year, she advises, sit down and create a list of activities that bring delight. Follow-through is important here, so posting your "can-dos" in a prominent place is a good idea.

Mary shared 24 favorite activities, including painting, gardening, creating order from chaos, writing, cooking for friends, singing, eating salmon, meeting someone’s need, thrift shopping, hiking, watching a sunset.

With the exception of gardening, my bliss list would be similar: making cards for my young Texas pen pals; fellowship, prayer, and Bible study with my church family; greeting neighbors and their resident pups on daily walks; volunteer tutoring; ker-plinking around on the piano keyboard; Haagen Dazs sessions.

Simple things. Proactive choices. Small but vital priority shifts.

Who says you can't make your own happiness?