Lots of people in this world are incapable of simply being happy. They’re happiest complaining, wallowing in their troubles or seeking out reasons to be unhappy.

Life isn’t always happy or easy but there’s almost always something good, even if it is small. In fact, simple pleasures are usually the best.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately as people in my social media and real life have been focused on division and angst. So I started making this list of simple pleasures that keep me sane and happy.

1. Watering the flowers on my porch.

2. A cat’s purr.

3. Sitting in the driveway waiting for a song to end.

4. New book smell.

5. Watching the sunrise from the road.

6. A walk in the woods.

7. Baked goods fresh from the oven.

8. An old movie you’ve seen a hundred times.

9. Fresh sheets.

10. A hot shower after an evening of yard work.

11. The transition of summer into fall.

12. A rainy day.

13. The smell of honeysuckle.

14. A bouquet of grocery store flowers.

15. An organized sock drawer.

16. A day at the movies.

17. Napping in the hammock.

18. Using up all the leftovers.

19. A good book and nothing else to do.

20. Going to bed with a clean kitchen.

21. Raindrops on a flower petal.

22. Ice cold watermelon.

23. Encountering a butterfly or frog in a flower bed.

24. A clean car.

25. Finding perennial flowers on clearance.

26. A comedian that’s actually funny.

27. Having something to look forward to.

28. Twinkle lights on a summer night.

29. Comfortable walking shoes.

30. An American flag flying in the wind.

31. Driving a new road.

32. The chatter of birds in the trees.

33. Browsing an antique mall.

34. Vanilla yogurt with melted peanut butter and chocolate.

35. Warm socks on a cold winter night.

36. Pumpkins and mums on a sunny October day.

37. Sleeping in.

38. Glimpsing a classic car on the road.

39. A cabinet full of clean towels.

40. Fresh fallen snow.

41. Facial recognition on my phone. Seriously, no more passwords!

42. Waking up to Scout next to me.

43. A cold winter day at home with nowhere to be.

44. Delivering recycling to the drop off in town.

45. Discovering new to me old music.

46. The promise of learning something new.

47. In season produce.

48. An oversized blanket.

49. A really great used bookstore.

50. Swapping travel destination ideas with a stranger.

51. People who text in full sentences and with punctuation.

52. Eavesdropping on a table of regulars in a diner.

53. A picnic.

54. Stopping to look at the stars even just for a moment.

55. Getting cold outside and coming in to get warm.

56. Going out for pancakes.

57. The smell of pipe tobacco.

58. A Chinese buffet.

59. The happy sight of sunflowers along the road.

60. An old barn.

61. Scratching things off a to do list.

62. Saturday morning cartoons (the classic kind like Tom and Jerry!)

63. Browsing new products in the grocery store.

64. Announcing the presence of a cow in a field to everyone in the car.

65. Watching CBS Sunday Morning.

66. A really good ink pen.

67. Planning a trip with a paper map.

68. Warm homemade chocolate pudding.

69. Happy stories in the news.

70. When tomorrow is Friday.

71. An absorbent dish towel.

72. Finding the thing you need for a deal.

73. A stranger who gets you.

74. A really good rock.

75. The call of an owl, crickets and tree frogs.

76. Browsing real estate online.

77. A cute hat that’s also warm.

78. Street art.

79. A colorful umbrella on a gloomy day.

80. Sun reflecting in a lake.

81. Breakfast at the table instead of standing at the kitchen counter.

82. The view from my window.

83. Scout napping in a stream of sunlight.

84. Tunes spinning on a record player.

85. A walk at lunchtime.

86. Browsing the library.

87. A new haircut.

88. Pajamas at the end of the day.

89. Meeting people different than me.

90. Looking for beautiful things to photograph.

91. A cool breeze on a warm evening.

92. Reading names on headstones in an old cemetery.

93. Old buildings with character.

94. A good night’s sleep.

95. Saturday morning adventures.

96. A clean bathroom counter.

97. Yoga pants.

98. Seeing wild rabbits, turkeys and deer in my yard.

99. A cute summer dress.

100. Reading magazine headlines in the grocery store.

101. Fall leaves.

102. The entire month of October.

103. Homemade donuts.

104. Movies that make me laugh.

105. A sharp pair of scissors.

106. Fun mail.

107. A basket full of flowers from the yard.

108. Making lists.

This list could have gone on and on but this is a good start. Look around and you may be surprised at how many wonderful things there are in your life. What are your simple pleasures? What brings you joy in your daily life?