Making the Internet My Accountability Partner

When are you at your most happy? It seems like such a simple question and yet immediately I’m asking several clarifying questions. I think there’s an initial instinct to answer that with a previous memory, but the present tense indicates that the answer we should be looking for is something that is current or ongoing in your life. I am once again drawn to that dichotomy of how hopeful it is that you can create your own happiness and how tragic it is that the things that make you happy now won’t always be there.

One of the clarifying questions I feel the need to answer is: are we including time with others? Our relationships with other people are incredibly fulfilling and can bring so much joy to our lives, but people are complicated, relationships are complicated. Even the best relationships aren’t always sunshine and roses. I am incredibly happy when I spend quality time with the people I love and we are making great memories, but is the unreliability of that happiness disqualifying?

If we say that it is, then my answer has to switch to the things, the hobby that is most reliable for me, and that would be journaling. Putting pen to paper and exploring my thoughts and feelings, exploring ways I can grow as a better version of myself, it’s an unparalleled feeling of contentment, peace, and joy. It’s the reason I have been journaling so consistently for years. Lately, I’ve been adding stickers, washi, stamps, and ephemera from my days. This creative element has been so freeing and made me look forward even more to this practice. And the joy grew again when I found the stationery community online and realized I could have a sense of community and connection with a typically solo hobby.