great expectations

At times I wish I were harder to please, but in all honesty I find joy in much of the simple things in life. Some things that make me really happy include:
-big, soft pillows
-rainbow sprinkles
-accidentally bringing an umbrella with me on a day of unexpected rainfall
-waking up a few seconds before my alarm goes off so I can turn it off before it ever rings and actually get myself out of bed on time too
-receiving mail (NOT ELECTRONIC)
-extra cheese
-fresh laundry
-grocery shopping
-seeing other people genuinely happy

There is a plethora of other things in life that tickle my fancy, but the point I want to make is that I think some people overlook the little treasures hidden in what may feel like their mundane lives. Also, I think it helps to not expect so much from the world --especially if you're only concentrating on what you can gain from it as opposed to what you can contribute yourself. To me at least, the best things in life happen when I least expect them to. Maybe the intensity of gratification is skewed because I wasn't anticipating them to happen, but regardless of the context in which they occur I tend to find that expectations we set are rarely met to our satisfaction. It's not that I've removed all expectations in life or lowered their standards; rather, I've come to accept that it makes no sense to set ridiculous goals that are doomed from the start. Surprises startle me, but good ones are always welcome. Bad ones are tolerable too, I guess, if they somehow remind me to be appreciative for what's already in my possession or in proximity. There are lots of ugly things in this world, but there's just as much (if not more) beauty to counteract their tarnishing properties. This is really embarrassing to admit, but I came to this conclusion one day as I was pondering all of my favorite foods... there were so many delicious things that crossed my mind that I couldn't help but be in a pleasant (and hungry) mood.