What minor, gracious things do others do for you that make you happy?

Think about not only your closest family and friends but also acquaintances or strangers in your community, on your daily commute, at school, in church, at your job or anywhere else you spend time. Consider, too, the online worlds you are a part of. What small kindnesses by others — some perhaps so small you barely notice them — lift your spirits? As you think about how to phrase your submission, you may be guided by the poem you just read. Think about the words, phrases or lines that stand out to you and how they might inspire your own writing. For instance, notice how specific and vivid the images are — not just fruit spilling from a grocery bag but “lemons.” Not just the driver of the next car but “the driver in the red pick-up truck.” Notice, also, how all of the examples are relatable: We’ve all experienced similar “small kindnesses.” As you add your own ideas, think about how you might make your lines equally vivid and universal. When you are ready, post your submission in the comments section. Please make sure you include your first name as well as your school and location And finally, we’re delighted to announce that Danusha Laméris — the author of “Small Kindnesses” — will help choose from among your submissions to create the collaborative poem. We plan to publish it in the coming weeks as a special post in our Current Events Conversation column. (If your work is chosen, you will be credited.) What's currently the biggest source of happiness in your life? I'm just a 24M who has been really pondering what my purpose in this life truly is. I guess I just don't know what will TRULY make me happy at the end of my life and I want other people's opinions on their own lives. On one hand I can say screw money completely and just focus on friends and building a family but then when im 45 and all my friends are out buying their second vacation home, upgrading their boats, and going on their 4th vacation of the year will I really be happy that I decided to not chase my career and instead focus on experiences that are now all but memories? With the flip being if I invest my time into my career right now and miss out on all the camping trips with friends, concerts with that new girl, nights out at the bars, etc. will I really be sitting at 45 in my second home happy that I am where I am or will I realize life is not meant for material things and rather to gain experiences that I've now missed out on? (I understand you can always go camping with friends but camping with your buddies at 25 vs camping with your friends and family at 45 are two vasty different experiences). To be clear as well this is not career vs wife. In both scenarios I want to have a wife and children. Rather this is career vs experiences. I understand the standard trope is "can't take anything with you on your deathbed" "Stuff is overrated" etc. but in all reality how many people actually truly believe that vs being jealous that their good friend is touring the Bahamas right now while they sit at home not having gone on a vacation in 2 years? At what point do you have enough wealth to feel comfortable? What do you believe is the best way to go about your life to achieve the most amount of happiness? Thank you for reading! Things may seem to make you happy, like getting into a new relationship or getting whatever it is you think will make you happy, but these things can't make you happy. They've actually never made anyone happy. Nothing can make you happy because happiness doesn't come from the outside, it's within you. So external things can only trigger the happiness that's already in you but they can't cause you to be truly happy. Happiness is actually your true nature, it's just that we've been conditioned to live in the past and the future, and to treat the present moment as a means to an end (which is crazy because life is always now). Most of us are always trying to get somewhere else, instead of fully being where we are. While eating breakfast we think about lunch, while eating lunch we think about dinner and so on. All this is done by the mind just to avoid the present moment because in the present there is no mind, which means death for the mind and death is it's greatest fear. In fact, all of the mind's fears are really just the fear of death (ego-death). The fact that nothing can make you happy is actually good news though because it means that you don't have to depend on people, places and things to make you happy. Happiness is who you truly are, and you can only be your true self in the present moment.