100 Simple Pleasures in Life
“Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.”-Benjamin Franklin
Just as we are a collection of cells working together to create a human experience, life is a collection of little moments that add up to create our experience of the world. And if we pay attention to those moments, we become happier. The man who moves through life focused on anything but the now is a man who just moves through life. Find joy in the simple pleasures to be happy and truly enjoy life.
As an exercise in this, I jotted down some of my favorite moments of the day as I experienced them. This was a great way to be more mindful and something I encourage everyone to do until you get to your top 100.
So, in no particular order, here are my 100 favorite simple pleasures in life.
100 Simple Pleasures
Drinking coffee from a mug in the morning when the house is quiet
Morning walks on the beach during the sunrise
The first minute after a good meditation
That first beer on a vacation
Walking through the city at night after a snowstorm
The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk
The feel of a new, never-been-washed sweatshirt that has thick fuzz
A long, hilly hike
The smell of bacon in the morning
Walking out of work before a vacation
The morning of a race
The way the lawn looks after a day of yard work
A ribeye fresh off the grill
Warm sun on your skin
An old favorite song on the radio
Seeing friends you haven’t seen in a while
Wind blowing in the trees on a quiet day
A perfect pour of a drink into a glass without it spilling over
Getting into a hot tub when it’s cold out
A long hug
When your kid pronounces words wrong (adocavo, the diamond room, banilla)
Sinking a really long putt
Hotel beds
When your spouse sees friends she hasn’t seen in a while
Walking through a light fog in the morning when it’s quiet
Snow on trees
Taking a great panoramic picture
The smell of fresh cut grass
A good nap
When the burn in your legs after the last sprint or rep is so bad you can't be still but you can't move much either
Enormous full moons
When your kid is jumping for joy for no reason
The feeling in your stomach after a good poop
Chopping wood
Making a new recipe to perfection
When your kid runs up to you after not seeing you for a while
Volunteering
A good stretch
Seeing a mountain range in the distance
Mental vacation planning
A clean kitchen after a messy meal
A toddler’s belly laugh
When you have a winning streak in a backyard game like can jam, ping pong, or horseshoes
The first sip of cold water after a hot run
Finishing a good book
Catching something you didn’t expect to
A really deep breath
Realizing you have more time to sleep when you wake up too early
Diving into water
Making the shot of crumpled-up trash in the trash can
Getting goosebumps during a song at a concert
Live outdoor acoustic music
Foliage
A bout of uncontrolled laughter
A clean hit of a Wiffle ball
Cutting a mushroom with a really sharp knife
Sitting around a campfire
The wind at your back on a bike ride
Getting into a clean, cool bed after a tiring day
Having a whole row to yourself on the plane
The smell of fried onions
Being barefoot outside (especially on grass and sand)
Flossing after eating a thick steak
Hitting multiple green lights in a row
When you get to a gas station and the dials on “E”
A good break in billiards
The smell of hyacinth flowers
Waking up thinking it’s a weekday then realizing it's Saturday
That intense tightness from a Charlie horse
A new album dropped by your favorite musician
Getting the whole bed to yourself
Skipping stones
A good ping pong volley
Watching a heavy thunderstorm
The liberating moment when you realize you don’t have your phone and it’s okay
Fireworks
The smell of freshly cut wood
Cracking barely-frozen puddles with your foot
Laying in soft grass
Seeing really old people working out
When your spouse is in a giddy, care-free mood
Perfectly still, glass-like water
Writing with a nice pen
The smell of a neighbor’s fireplace in the fall
Pulling off the skin of an orange in one shot
Finding leftovers in the fridge from the night before that you forgot were there
Getting rid of a lot of clutter at once
A good sneeze
Kids helping other kids when they fall down (bonus: when it's in the middle of a sport)
A good crack in your back
A tie score near the end of a game
Moments of true and natural gratitude
A great drive in golf
Second-hand compliments
Heavy muscles after a good workout
Vibrant colors in nature
The smell of Play-Doh
Barely making it through a closing door without touching it
Finally being able to pee after holding it for a long time
What’s on your list of simple pleasures in life?
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