I have been slowly working through my 100 ways to be happy list. The original list that I found is HERE
and I carry it around with me all the time. I take it with me so I can
ponder over what I want to focus on and then work out how I can plan
activities and adventures into our family life.

Recently, as I have been pouring over this list I have learnt that to be
happy I need to find my own list and create my own happiness. It has
been wonderful to have something to start off with to help me get my
thoughts flowing and my focus more directed towards happiness.

Now I am feeling more confident within myself and after trying several
different activities I am starting to get a feel of what I like and
love. It seems such a long time ago that I actually had time for me in
my life. Most of my time has been spent raising children and running our
house and that has been important and a real priority for me but during
that time I really let go of the loves and treasures that gave me
happiness and uplifted me.

These joys were not big activities but little, tiny moments of happiness
that were just for me. I used to have time for them, I could fit them
into my schedule and I looked forward to those rewards. I am finding now
the need to put some of those treasures back into my life and to make
time for them.

At first when I started thinking about what I love and what makes me
happy, I could not remember. It had really been sooooo long. I then
started to look back over my life. It is sad to say that I really had to
go all the way back to High School to remember some of the things that I
loved to do. {I do have to say here that I am so glad that I am not
back in High School - pimples, pressure and homework - no thanks!}

During High School I remembered that I loved music, yoga, short hair
cuts, dancing, fashion and books. You know what! I still love those
things today but I had let a lot of them go out of my life because I was
so busy. Slowly, I have been putting them back in. I cut my hair short HERE
and started doing Yoga again this week at home. It was been relaxing
and wonderful. I had to stop and ask myself - Why did I ever let it
go???

As mothers we place ourselves last on the list. It is just what we do.
There are so many demands for our time and so many needs of others that
we devote our time to helping them instead of helping ourselves. This is
an excellent trait that as women we generally have. It is lovely, it is
kindness and it is important. But, what we tend to forget is that we need some kindness in our lives as well.

Over my time as a mother I have learnt that to be a 'happy mother' means
having some time for you too! Something to look forward to, to get
excited about and something that is special and just for you. I am
looking forward to taking this list and making it mine, changing it and
finding what happiness really is for me. It is going to be my special
gift to myself.




Naomi: http://www.sevencherubs.com