Most of us are so busy just trying to get through the workday (and hurrying home to watch Netflix) that it can be really difficult to find small pockets of happiness in our days. We all get weighed down with stress, insecurity, and pessimism and we fail to notice the simple joys that can actually make life sort of amazing. We’re missing out on so many little things that happen (or can happen) every day to punctuate the routine with bouts of sheer joy. Here are a few reminders of those things:

1. When you’re reading a book and you get to the middle, and then a little past the middle, and suddenly the book feels fatter on the left and you feel satisfied and excited at the same time

2. Pouring milk in your coffee and seeing the swirl of white and black, like clouds drifting across the surface, pulling apart and crashing together

3. Taking your shoes off after a long day.

4. Saying “Have a nice day” to a stranger and exchanging a genuine smile that reminds you how kind people can be.

5. Talking to your best friend on the phone at 2 a.m. about deep subjects you can’t talk to anyone else about.

6. Waking up before dawn and hearing the stillness of a world that hasn’t revved up yet.

7. Getting a phone call from a friend you thought you lost and realizing the person is still there for you.

8. Receiving encouragement and approval from your picky boss or teacher.

9. Seeing a couple on the street holding hands and smiling.

10. Hot coffee or tea and a warm, snuggly blanket.

11. That rush of excitement and comfort when you’ve made a new close friend.

12. A Saturday with absolutely nothing to do except curl up with your significant other (or a significant pet).

13. The way your dog comes to greet you so enthusiastically whenever you come home

14. Fresh, crisp sheets that smell like fabric softener.

15. Wandering around a museum when it’s fairly empty and absorbing the beauty surrounding you.

16. Finding a really awesome band, listening to them nonstop, and getting all the lyrics right for the first time.

17. Recognizing Orion in the night sky

18. Running into your favorite middle or high school teacher and catching up with them as an adult, and having them be proud of you

19. Calling your mom to vent to her, and getting the feeling that you’re 13 again and she completely has your back

20. Locking eyes with a cute stranger and feeling flushed

21. Walking in a new pair of deeply comfortable shoes for the first time

22. When spring comes and in the morning you can hear birds chirping for the first time in months

23. Pie