Can finding a stray rubber band flood a person's heart with warmth and joy? Yes! Especially if you are participating in a rubber band collection contest with childhood friends. Long ago, a friend challenged me to compete in such an event. I said yes and vowed to win. I frequently rode on my bike to search neighborhood driveways and streets for rubber bands. I proudly added the ones I found to the growing collection that I kept on the handlebars of my bike. Whenever I spotted a rubber band, I felt like shouting, jumping up and down and telling the world that I had found another one. I was sure I would be the winner of the competition.

When I first laid eyes on the boy who showed off the rubber bands that completely filled both sides of the handlebars on his bike, I was certain that he had cheated. It was a disappointing loss. A few days later, the same boy admitted that his father bought the rubber bands for him. Even though nobody won the contest, I decided that I was a winner because I learned how powerful it was to be fully present to the happiness I experienced each time I found a rubber band.

The impact of the joy I felt upon finding those small treasures in those early days remains with me. Even now, when I go on my morning walks, I occasionally notice that I still have an eye open for stray rubber bands. Why? In my mind, rubber bands still equal happiness!

Happiness comes to us in all shapes and sizes and sometimes in the strangest ways. How often do you notice the moments when you experience happiness? What would bring more happiness into your life?

Here are a few avenues that can lead you toward greater happiness.

1. Simply notice when you are happy. Take time out to check in with yourself and notice your blissful moments. It is likely that you are surrounded by more happiness than you realize. As you become more aware of your happy moments, you will be more in touch with the uplifting energy that is in your life.

2. Pay attention to circumstances that make you smile or laugh. Once you know what makes you glow, you can create those circumstances more often. I often laugh when I am engaged in conversation with friends. This tells me that connecting with others is one of my pathways toward happiness.

3. Here is a tip that is suggested in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Practice gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal. List five things you are grateful for every day. Put more attention on what is good and abundant in your life and watch it grow!

4. Let your inner child play. Connect with that part of yourself that still adores play and fun. Allow yourself a little silly time. Let that little person in you lead the way for a couple of hours and see where he or she takes you. If only for a short while, revisiting the energy of childlike, carefree behavior can be very uplifting. My next play date is going to be a trip to the roller skating rink!

5. Create an uplifting environment for yourself. Turn the place you live into a sanctuary by filling it with things you adore. As your eyes wander around your home, you will be embraced by the love that has been created by cherished items you look upon. If you see something that doesn