I want to take a little side step from my usual posts about travel and outfits and yummy food, to write about something that has been in the forefront of my mind for awhile now, and that’s being grateful and finding happiness. Not just the act of being happy and grateful, but actually how we achieve those things.

Everyone has a different life to live and a different purpose to serve. Happiness can mean very different things depending on who you ask about it. Being grateful for what you have and who you have in your life is an important part of being happy. I think we sometimes tend to only feel grateful when times are exceptionally good, and maybe not so much when times are tough. My husband and I have each been through a lot of life challenges but we always remember to be appreciative of what we are to each other. Everything else we have is just “stuff” and we remind ourselves all the time of our many blessings, especially the ability to travel the world, meet interesting people, and share our experiences with others.

How I take time to be grateful and happy happens each morning when I sit at my makeup vanity and get ready for the day. I keep an old framed black and white photo of my grandmother there to keep me grounded and inspired. It’s a photo from her college days where she’s smiling into the camera with a grace, ease, and playfulness that reminds me to start the day with a smile, remember where I came from, and not take myself too seriously.

I also keep a sweetly scented candle and some comfort items like hand cream and perfume within reach. I remember my mother and my grandmother always smelling so good. There have been many times where I’ve walked past the Estēe Lauder counter and smelled the faint aroma of “Beautiful”, the scent that both women shared. And both women had vanity drawers that seemed to go into Narnia…so full of fun cosmetics to play in.

I recently found this candle from White Barn at Bath & BodyWorks this week (**more on this candle below) and the scent sparked a memory of when I was little. I started thinking about my grandmother and all the beautiful and strong women in my life. So along with being grateful for all my other blessings, I’m grateful to those women and the happiness they give me.

What do you find makes you the happiest? Do you find that smells can evoke strong memories or feelings for you, too?

**I just have to say how much I LOVE the candles from White Barn! They burn so clean and evenly and really freshen an entire room. What drew me to this particular candle was the gorgeous marbled pattern on the glass. It goes with everything in my home so I might need to go back and get a few more. Each scent has its own marbled pattern, ranging from light to dark with lots of movement. I love it when a candle not only smells good but looks great too.

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How to Take Time to Be Grateful and Be Happy appeared first on Cathedrals & Cafés.