Have you ever been this happy before? [Open Discussion]

I saw this video the other day and absolutely loved it. This woman epitomizes genuine happiness. It truly is infectious and simply a joy to watch.

After watching this video again, it got me thinking… have I ever been this happy before? And if so, what was I doing?

It took me quite a while to think of specific instances, but finally I was able to identify a few instances and these things seemed to align with what I valued most and am most passionate about: spending time and laughing with loved ones, traveling and exploring, being in awe of natural beauty ie. driving through the Rocky Mountains…

But why did I initially struggle to determine the last time I was near this woman’s level of happiness (without the epic laugh, of course)? I think that the reason could be one of two things, or a mix of both.

1) I was so caught up in the experience that I essentially was “lost” in the moment

2) I wasn’t able to fully appreciate it at the time because of distractions/lack of attention that prevented me from fully being in the moment

I worry that the answer may be number two… It seems that there are so many distractions in our day to day lives that sometimes we fail to appreciate the moments that require our utmost attention.

So now I’d like to open up the discussion to you and see what the readers have to say.

Leave your answers to the following in the comments below (to remain anonymous, simply enter a bogus name/email address)

• Have you ever been as happy (or close to as happy) as this woman?
• What were you doing?
• Were you able to fully appreciate this moment at the time, or not until a while afterwards?