They say the best things in life are free. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the list below proves that statement to be true. Life is filled with simple pleasures, the little satisfying effects you never really anticipate, but always take great pleasure in. They are the gifts of life that we each subconsciously celebrate in our own unique way.
Here are 30 of the most satisfying simple pleasures life has to offer:
- Sleeping In on a Rainy Day – As the rain beats lightly against the window, you nestle your head deeper into your pillow. The sound is soothing and your bed feels like a sanctuary. There is no place you would rather be.
- Finding Money You Didn’t Know You Had – You reach into your pocket and find a $20 bill from the last time you wore these jeans. You aren’t rich, but you are richer than you were a second earlier.
- Making Brief Eye Contact with Someone of the Opposite Sex – You pass her on the street or in the subway. She glances up at you momentarily, making direct eye contact in a way that seems to communicate a subtle curiosity. For a split second it makes you think… and then it’s gone.
- Skinny Dipping – There is something mysteriously liberating about being naked in a body of water. You are naked, but it feels natural, a sense of unrefined freedom.
- Receiving a Real Letter or Package via Snail Mail – E-mail has become the primary source of written communication. Most snail mail these days is junk mail. When you check the mail and find a real letter or package from someone you know, excitement overtakes you as you tear into this rare gift.
- Making the Yellow Light – It’s one of the most common simple pleasures, the act of beating the pack. As you blaze through the yellow light you glance in your rearview to see all the cars behind you stopping at the red light. Yes! You made it!
- Telling a Funny or Interesting, True Story – One of the most enticing roles you lead in life is that of the storyteller. You love to share stories, especially those that will captivate your audience with deep curiosity and humor. There are few things more satisfying than telling a true story that others enjoy listening to.
- Seeing a Friend Stumble Over Himself – As you walk across the street with your friend, he fails to accurately address the curb on the other side. He trips and stumbles around momentarily before regaining his footing, then swiftly attempts to play it off like nothing happened. This can be a hilarious sight if the moment is right.
- Hearing the Right Song at the Right Moment – It doesn’t matter what the setting is, hearing the right song for that moment is one of those simple pleasures in life that instantly lifts your spirits. You could be driving home from work, hanging out at a bar with friends, or jogging. When the right song rattles your ear drums the entire meaning of life seems crystal clear.
- The First Sip of a Beverage When You’re Thirsty – You just finished mowing the lawn or taking a long jog. The only thing on your mind is an ice-cold glass of water. When you are really, really thirsty, that first sip of any liquid beverage is sheer bliss.
- Catching a Glimpse of Bare Skin on the Opposite Sex – For guys, it’s when the waitress bends over a little too far. For girls it’s seeing that buff guy in a Speedo. Either way, when you see a bit more skin than you were expecting on the opposite sex, you can’t help but to smirk on the inside.
- Saying the Same Thing Simultaneously – There is a moment of silence. Then all of the sudden you and your friend blurt out the same exact set of words simultaneously. This rare occurrence is something to smile about.
- The Pull-Through Parking Spot – You pull into a parking spot and are delighted to see the availability of the parking spot immediately in front of you. You pull through to the spot in front so that when you return to the car you can drive forward out of the parking spot. Why? Because driving backwards is a pain in the butt.
- Realizing You Have More Time to Sleep – Something abruptly awakens you and you think it’s time to get up. Then you squint over at your alarm clock and realize you still have 2 more hours to sleep. A warm euphoric feeling shoots though your body as you glide gracefully back to your dreams.
- People Watching – Sitting there on your bench you can see people in every direction. Tall people, small people, thin and plump. Blond, brunette, and redhead alike. Each of them has a different stride and a unique expression. As you drift from body to body you are mesmerized by what you see.
- Putting On Clothes Straight from the Dryer – As soon as the dryer buzzes, you pull out your clothes and put them on. They feel soothingly warm on your skin and emit a fresh-scented aroma into the air. A sentiment of ease comes over you as you head out to conquer the day.
- A Familiar Smell – You just pulled into your parent’s driveway and opened the car door. You haven’t been home in a long while. You smell familiarity in the air, the scent of a large pine tree in the neighbor’s yard. As you head through the front door, more familiar smells consume your senses. Gosh, it feels good to be home…
- The Feeling You Get When Your Idea Works – You have been struggling to resolve a complex problem all day and you just can’t seem to get it right. Filled with frustration, you decide to exercise one last idea before calling it a night. You’ve had many ideas before that failed miserably… but this time it works.
- Fresh, Clean Bed Sheets – You yank at the corner of the bedspread to create just enough space to slide your body under the freshly cleaned sheets. The sheets feel cool to the touch. Everything seems so clean, like nobody has ever slept in this bed before.
- A Beautiful View – As the car veers around the side of the mountain you gaze out the passenger window. It’s a clear, sunny day and you can see the entire valley below filled with wild flowers and bright green vegetation. The scenery reminds you of something you once saw in National Geographic. But here it is live, right before your eyes.
- Reminiscing About Old Times with Your Closest Friends – Pink Floyd once said “the memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime”. There is no simple pleasure more satisfying than recounting the greatest moments of your life with your closest friends who lived these moments alongside you.
- Receiving an Unexpected Compliment – It’s been an average day. Nothing really great has happened, but nothing terrible occurred either. This monotonous day has put you in a dreary mood. Unexpectedly, an older, attractive lady taps you on the shoulder, calls you “handsome” and says she loves your shirt. The day just got a whole lot better.
- Having a Good Laugh – Laughter is the greatest cure of all. Life is extraordinary in the moments when you are laughing so hard you can barely breathe. These moments of deep laughter are divine in the sense that they cleanse your mood and set your mind on a positive track.
- The Feeling After a Healthy Workout – It’s a giddy feeling of self accomplishment; the one true activity that actually makes you feel better and look better simultaneously. When you walk out the front door of the gym you are on top of the world.
- The Celebration in the Instant Something Makes Sense – Even now that it has explained to you for the third time, you just don’t understand how it works. Everyone else seems to understand but you. Then out of the blue the dots connect in your mind. You finally get it, and it feels great!
- Relaxing Outdoors on a Sunny Day – As you relax sprawled out in a lawn chair, the sun warms your skin and a light breeze keeps the temperature comfortable. Birds are chirping merrily in the trees behind you. You are at complete peace with the environment.
- Holding Hands with Someone You Love – Every time she grabs your hand you are overcome with an awareness of how much she means to you. Holding hands is sensual and physically intimate, yet subtle. There are few people you allow to hold your hand, so when it happens you can be sure that the moment is special.
- Playing in the Water – Water marvels people of all ages. From jumping in puddles as a child, to doing cannon balls in the pool as an adolescent, to enjoying a cocktail in the Jacuzzi as an adult… water is enjoyable.
- Making Someone Smile – You notice that your colleague has been under a great deal of stress with meeting a deadline, so you take it upon yourself to complete one of her indirect responsibilities for her. As soon as she realizes what you did, she comes into your office with a big smile on her face. “Thank you”, she says. You just hit two birds with one stone, because making her smile just made your day.
- Finishing What You Started – You just finished up a big project you’ve been working on for the last few months, or maybe you just finished your first marathon… Either way, you finalized what you set out to accomplish. The feeling of self accomplishment you get when you finish what you started is by far one of the most rewarding simple pleasures life has to offer.
A comprehensive list of life’s simple pleasures would be quite extensive. My list represents those which are most satisfying to a sample of people in and around my life. With a few sporadic exceptions, I believe these simple pleasures hold universal appeal.
Also, check out The Book of Awesome (Snow Days, Bakery Air, Finding Money in Your Pocket, and Other Simple, Brilliant Things) to read about hundreds of other awesome simple pleasures.
Alina says
Once I got over the fact that this post was geared solely towards a heterosexual audience and forced myself to read further, I agree with a lot of the ‘simple pleasures.’ But keep in mind for future posts that not just straight people enjoy the simple things in life.
Darlene says
How wonderful to see some of my favorite feel good moments put into words. Thank you. Here are some more.
A drink of cold clean water whenever I want it.(not everyone has that luxury)
Sharing….anything.
Paying for a strangers items, or handing over a few $ when you can see their money has come up short.
Letting someone go before you in a checkout line.
Ice in my drink.
Amina says
So true…I especially love the sleeping in on a rainy day bit causes that is the time that it reeeeally hits me that I hate not being my own boss.
I would add reading a very good book, the kind that would make you wish you actually wrote the book.
tq says
Add in the smell of the person/s you love. The smell after it has rained and the grass is singing. Sense of smell is very powerful, i am a sniffer addict!
Synonymous says
I really enjoyed your list, life never seems as tough in those moments you’ve described. does it? I love the one about finding cash in the pocket of clothes, it’s like free money! I always try to do something altruistic with it, if only buying snacks to share with my house-mates!
stb says
This is really great. I enjoyed it and I have surely become a fan of yours. I particularly that feeling that you get when you accomplish a project or anything else.
I would add this:
Seeing your dreams fulfilled could bring feelings that you sometimes find impossible to describe.
Cyril Anthony says
I love this list very much. Starting today i am beginning to look at life from a completely different perspective. I am learning to appreciate all the simple things around us and make every moment meaningful.
May i add another satisfying simple pleasure? – The feeling you get when you pee after holding your bladder for a long, long time.
Lynne says
Yeah, I agree with Dan and co. Gay people also enjoy the simple things in life.
It’s annoying when people talk about the opposite sex like that. Once I hear that, I’m skeptical about anything else that comes out their mouth.
It’s almost as bad as when someone asks “How’s your special friend?”, meaning your girlfriend/boyfriend. Just another small form of homophobia. It hurts guys.
That said, clean sheets and all the other small things – yup, delicious.
Alex says
This is a bit of a niche one, but the feeling musicians get when we play a passage faster than we knew we could. You stare mesmerized as you realize how elegant your fingers have suddenly become.
The Gentleman says
This list is wonderful 🙂
I’d have to add:
Questionable ones:
Beating someone who claims to be good at something
Playing rock paper scissors
Playing footsie
Good ones:
Popping bubble wrap
Getting the bigger “half”
The Hriday says
This is an excellent list. =]
anoldfriend says
What I like is when you meet someone and you connect with them at first site. Everything you do and say to them seems harmonious and awesome. This happened mostly when I was a kid and had more fun.
Tws says
A high pressure front overhead for a long three day weekend.
The smell of the air after a heavy rainstorm.
A rainbow that appears after rain showers.
The euphoria felt when someone is more successful then they had ever dreamed of.
Indian summer days.
The ability to witness something very intimate or happy, yet remain unnoticed.
A nod of approval from someone you don’t know.
AnneB says
Great list, but no chocolate?
Deboramajama says
This was written by a man. LOL!
Susan says
I “Stumbledupon” your website and it has totally taken me over!! Absolutely love it!!
Bex says
I made a short story out of one of these.
I have at least a couple handfuls of pleasures. But one sticks out to me the most, watching the world in action. I love to just sit down in a cozy spot, and watch people, old and young. It may seem creepy to you, but to me it’s just simple, especially if you’re bored, with nothing to do. I like to walk around and listen to lovey-dovey conversations, or watch a father lovingly pick a light pink flower for his daughter or wife. Even a fight from a torn apart couple, sewn back together by a long, meaningful hug. The best part of this simple action is the feeling I get whenever I see something like a hug, or holding hands. It makes me feel fantastic inside. These small things make me feel like the world is special, and reminds me that there is still love lingering around in our souls.
Bex says
I made this short story from one of those suggestions.
I have at least a couple handfuls of pleasures. But one sticks out to me the most, watching the world in action. I love to just sit down in a cozy spot, and watch people, old and young. It may seem creepy to you, but to me it’s just simple, especially if you’re bored, with nothing to do. I like to walk around and listen to lovey-dovey conversations, or watch a father lovingly pick a light pink flower for his daughter or wife. Even a fight from a torn apart couple, sewn back together by a long, meaningful hug. The best part of this simple action is the feeling I get whenever I see something like a hug, or holding hands. It makes me feel fantastic inside. These small things make me feel like the world is special, and reminds me that there is still love lingering around in our hearts and souls.
John Sherry says
You have all the great ones on here though seeing your children play happily together always touches the heart strings. You capture perfectly the ethic that, despite the goal driven, law attracting, wealth chasing, go-get-em attitude that prevails today, there are, and always will be, simple joys that still naturally calm the mind and lift the spirits. Loved every word and real feel good read.
MissMikele says
This is awesome! Thank you so much for this!
Miss Mikele
vinayak talukar says
What a stunning list…
I, at times get so busy that i don’t cherish these pleasures. But… gotta realize the animal in myself 🙂
Thanks for the list… too good 🙂
bankruptcy ben says
I would have added dog curling up in your lap and having someone else wash your back.
Darshan Chande says
Reading these points was a pleasure. Reminded me of many moments I have enjoyed. Yeah, they completely make sense. Especially, some of them. Great pleasure they are.
Lori says
This is a fantastic list. The only thing that grated on me a bit, was the insistence of the phrase “the opposite sex.” Not everyone is heterosexual, and for me, as well as many others, “Catching a Glimpse of Bare Skin on the Opposite Sex,” or “Making Brief Eye Contact with Someone of the Opposite Sex,” does absolutely nothing. That being said, there was much more in the list that I COULD relate to, than what I could not.
Zone86 says
Awesome! So true! 😀
Chris says
Great List! I am going to share this with some of our clients.
Cassidy says
Love this list!! I smiled the whole way through.
Emma says
Reading this makes me feel full of hope that life really does have meaning. That to give it up would be to give up all these amazing blissful things, so thank you, =D
Someone says
Very good one: The moment when you crawl into bed after a long, tiring day.
Laura says
Eating ice-cream while watching a good movie is one of those things that makes you think: life is good!
Sheryl says
Came across your site and I love it. Several of the lists I looked at said something to the effect of “Be excellent at whatever you do.” which on one level is great as it makes you strive for the best, but on another level can be intimidating. For those who feel they can never be good enough, I would like to add this “Give yourself permission to fail. Rarely is anyone great at something the first time they try it. Don’t be afraid to try something new because you’re afraid you won’t be good at it.” Also along those lines, “Try something new just for yourself. Take art lessons, cake decorating, a creative writing class, or whatever you like, without telling anyone else. If you love it and want to share it you can. If you hate it or feel you aren’t good enough to pursue it further, no one will ever know.”
anand mars says
really true and intriguing…….. millions of thanks for publishing these……
Gabrielle says
25 is so true.
One thing you didn’t have was nature walks. It’s nice to look at nature and get a break from technology.
MARIA says
Goshhhh!! this together with the song I was listening made me feel so uplifted. This is other of the magic things of life: reading something like this in the precise moment where you are listening to a terrific song! Thanks!
Arianey says
So true – I loved listening to the thunder and lightning in bed this morning. Picking wild asparagus, blackberries and sloe berries is another one of my simple pleasures.
Akki says
WOW ………. Dat was reallly nice …. just jogged through the memory lane :)) Thank U
AlexV says
Thanks for this list, made me realise there are these little pleasures out there =]
My favourite one is number 14, there is no greater feeling when you’re in a half sleep state and you think you have to get up and then realise that you have ages left =D
dana says
The best simple pleasures for me: Painting – it takes me to another world, a small glass of wine, soft music.
Entesar says
100% true. I love when a friend and I say the same thing at the same time.
barbara says
Awesommme!!
Ann alka WorkingBoomer says
Each day I come to this site to read and just feel good. By far, it is one of my favorite blog sites. Everything is written so beautifully. Thank you and please keep writing.
eklavya says
i got three most imp ones to add-
1) Using the bathroom first thing in the morning.
2) Great sex.
3) Eating good food when you’re really hungry.
Madeline says
I just stumbled upon your website and everything in it makes me happy! I’m so glad I found this! Thank you!
findpeace says
I come to your site often to get perspective. Thank you so much. Sometimes, we forget the simple pleasures in life. For me, it’s that first sip of coffee in the morning.
TaraCat says
Great list. My fave is snuggling with my cats.
I love the sound of my wind chimes also.
Marrfeng says
I love this list. Simple pleasures like these may actually be the meaning of life.
Daniel says
You forgot the most simple one! …
A hug! 🙂
Mark Drew says
Wow, its fantastic ! So simple things with their big effects 🙂
Thanks for sharing this!
Regards,
Mark
Vincent Dote says
Great read.
I believe all people have a slightly longer variation of this list, but they will surely agree on yours.
Keep it up guys!
Tom says
That is a great list! Thank you so much..
Life is about the little and simple things…
Good luck and enjoy life!
Kind regards. -Tom
Kashif Ansari says
life is meant to be lived (don’t just exist for that would be like existentialism which is a pessimistic philosophy). smell the citrus peel of a tangerine and taste the tangy fruit juice on your tongue. feel a rain drop on your cheek and then dance and get all soaking wet in the clean earthy smell of rain pouring on you. lose yourself in the moment of eating a good meal such as butter chicken or listening to beautiful music such as madonna or michael jackson. you only live once and maybe writers live twice but that is it. no more. so it is no return no deposit and hence live it up for what it’s worth.