You Don’t Get Happy. You Practice Happy.

Because happiness isn’t found. It’s made, every single day.

Happiness isn’t something to achieve; it’s something we create. It isn’t a finish line or a title—it’s a practice. We build it with our thoughts and small actions.

My day yesterday

I woke up fighting a head cold. I caught myself narrating the day as a lost cause: This is awful. I can’t get anything done. There goes my whole day.

Then I did one small thing: I drove to Dairy Queen, bought my favorite ice cream, and ate it in the car. No multitasking. No “earning it” with a workout first. Just me, the soft hum of the engine, and slow, cold bites that tasted like my “push through it” voice.

Did it cure my cold? Of course not. But it changed the rest of the day. Suddenly it wasn’t “Ruined by a Runny Nose.” It was “I found a Pocket of Joy.”

We’re taught to chase happiness like a race. Train hard, win big, stand on a podium. Get the raise, get the promotion, get more subscribers, get a note that goes viral. But the truth is that we’re living to get errands done and in bodies that sometimes need a nap.

Here’s what I’m practicing

• Shrink the target. Don’t aim for a “perfect day.” Aim for a bright five minutes.

• Name the tiny thing. What reliably lifts you 5%? A drive-thru cone. A hot shower. Singing a song with the volume turned up.

• Make it visible. Put a short “joy list” on your phone or fridge so you don’t have to think when you’re tired.

• Forget the permission slip. You don’t have to deserve delight. You just have to choose it.

If you’re reading this with a headache, a to-do list, or a heart that’s carrying more than its share, maybe your move isn’t to power through. Maybe it’s to power toward something small that brings you a little joy everyday.

Yesterday, mine was Dairy Queen in a parked car. Tomorrow it might be a warm mug held with both hands, or sitting in my rocking chair on my porch.

The point isn’t the thing. It’s making the choice.

What tiny good thing could you say yes to right now?

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