People Who Are Basically Sunshine & Rainbows In Human Form Almost Always Have 8 Things Going For Them
Alesia Kozik | Canva Studies consistently confirm: more isn't always better. Life is what you make of it, not how much you have. Your outlook has a huge impact on your existence and how you experience the world around you. If you see life as an unending struggle, you're bound to get lost in the darkness. If you think of the world as a sunshine-and-rainbows place to explore, you’ll discover how fortunate you are and how full your life really is.
People who are basically sunshine and rainbows in human form often have a few things going for them:
1. They have stable income
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If you have a stable income, you’re better off than an average person. Financial instability is a harrowing experience. Not everyone has a set income or knows where their next paycheck is coming from, which can make it feel nearly impossible to survive, let alone thrive. You might not like your job, your boss might be a nightmare, but having a reliable stream of income is a gift.
A 2021 survey from Pew Research Center found that 16% of Americans have made money through an online gig platform. They drove for a ride app or delivered people’s groceries. They ran errands and dropped off restaurant meals. They perform essential tasks, yet they don’t have job security. A reliable income isn’t a given. Having enough money to cover your daily costs of living while saving and investing makes you better off than an average person.
2. People who are pure sunshine have healthy ways to cope
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If you have healthy coping mechanisms, you’re likely oozing sunshine. Managing stress and anxiety looks different for everyone, yet using maladaptive techniques, like emotionally numbing through substance use or repressing your emotions, is detrimental in the long run.
Licensed psychologist Judith Tutin shares coping mechanisms people can use for life. “There’s considerable research to suggest that after a trauma, you can come back stronger and more resilient than before,” she notes. “Tragedy can prompt the development of new coping skills. Difficult times call for new habits to keep yourself, your family, and your mental health safe.” Tutin notes that exercise, getting outside, eating yummy meals, and connecting with people you love can help you feel better, even when everything is hard. “Experiencing post-traumatic growth often means you find strengths you never knew you had, recognize some of your interests are more important than you thought, and move forward in life with an outlook that's a little different."
3. People like this have a supportive and loving community of people
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If you have a supportive and loving community of people around you, you’re probably seeing rainbows. Loneliness has become a public health emergency, as former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy explains in his “Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.” “Social connection is a critical and underappreciated contributor to individual and population health, community safety, resilience, and prosperity,” he notes. "Far too many Americans lack social connection in one or more ways, compromising these benefits and leading to poor health and other negative outcomes.
There’s unspeakable value in being around people you love, who love you back, who care for you, no matter what. When you have people you can rely on, people who you know will be in your life forever, you truly have so much.
4. They find joy in mundane things
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Experiencing joy in everyday things means you’re better off than an average person. Life often feels monotonous. It’s easy to lose yourself in the rhythm of your ordinary routine, yet seeking out those little pockets of sunshine can make your day-to-day experience much more nourishing.
Author and podcaster Case Kenny spoke with YourTango's CEO Andrea Miller on the “Getting Open” podcast, sharing that, "Mindfulness is about learning how to talk to yourself. We can’t just listen to ourselves. We have to take a step forward and talk to ourselves. People really gravitate to that once they realize that fact, because it’s more ‘lean forward,’ it’s more active, it’s not this passive endeavor. It’s not just sitting; it’s more of a verb.”
5. They have a reason for being
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While people’s individual purposes vary, setting goals gives everyone motivation and a path to follow. Reaching your dreams might feel overwhelming, but breaking your journey down step by step allows you to zoom out and aim for specific touchpoints that will get you where you want to be.
As psychologist Dr. Wendy Lyon shares, “If you want to be happy, you need to clarify your vision for the life and love you want and don’t settle for less. Identify limiting beliefs that are not aligned with your true self, like ‘I’m not good enough,’ and get help to shift them so you’re feeling fabulous and deserving. Learn how to live your life deliberately, stay aligned with your vision and core values, and you can confidently create a life you love.”
It might take you a lifetime to discover your purpose, and that’s okay. There’s no prescribed timeline for true happiness.
6. They have a chance to do what they love
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Whether it’s through work or whatever you do after work, if you can pursue what you’re passionate about, you have something not many people do. If you’re able to carve out consistent time, just for yourself, it shows how lucky you really are. You might use that time to read a romance novel in the bath or deep-clean the baseboards of your house, if that’s what you’re into.
Maybe you make a point to visit a new museum every month or listen to a band you’ve never heard of before. Having the opportunity to expand your mind and be exposed to cultural experiences that rearrange your views isn’t something everyone can access. Maybe you’re interested in sourcing cool children's furniture, or you focus on finding vintage luggage from France and silk robes from India. Maybe you want to travel cross-country and take selfies with every small-town tourist attraction you can find. If you have the funds and the free time to seek out a giant ball of yarn in Wisconsin or the world’s largest spoon in Arizona, you’re a heck of a lot luckier than the average bear.
7. People who ooze sunshine have hope for their future
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If you have genuine hope for your future, even with its inevitable uncertainties, you’re doing pretty well. It’s easy to get mired down by despair and worry that your life isn’t moving in the right direction. Part of having hope for what’s to come means acknowledging a vital truth: We don’t have control over much, but we can control our reactions and live with intention.
Therapist and life coach Geraldine Kerr says that living a life that is aligned with our true self is a process — and it doesn't happen overnight. “Aligning with our true self is often a discovery made after loss when life requires that we relinquish what we had to find what we really need,” she explains. All we humans can really do is look after ourselves as best we can, plant healthy seeds, and nurture them so we can evolve, and eventually we'll spread our wings and fly like the eagle we're meant to be.
8. They are grateful for what they have, no matter how little
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If you have a deep sense of gratitude that you draw strength and inspiration from, you’re in a good place. Too many folks often overlook gratitude or don’t make time for it. We’re distracted enough that it’s easy to ignore what we have, but by not paying attention to the quieter sides of our lives, we’re missing out on something essential. As author David Ahearn points out, “If we only shift our perception away from worrying about the ‘big’ things with which we have little to no control, we make space to celebrate the ‘small’ things that we most certainly have some impact to enjoy.”
Practicing gratitude is a gift, in and of itself, and it makes you more sunshine-and-rainbows than you could ever imagine.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
