The Unexpected Joy of Finding a Perfectly Ripe Avocado

There's something rather wonderful about the little things in life. Not the big holidays, major achievements or life-changing events, but those tiny, often completely random moments that give you an unexpected little burst of happiness. Finding a £10 note in a coat you haven't worn for months, catching the bus just as you arrive at the stop, getting into freshly washed bedsheets or discovering that the avocado you've been saving is perfectly ripe. They're small, seemingly insignificant moments, but somehow they can turn an ordinary day around. I've put together a list of 70 little things that bring me these small pockets of happiness. Some are oddly specific, some are universal, and some might seem ridiculously trivial, but that's rather the point. After all, happiness doesn't always have to come in big packages.

1. The bus you want turns up just as you arrive at the bus stop.
2. Putting on a coat you haven't worn for ages and finding a £10 note in the pocket.
3. Trousers that used to be tight suddenly fitting perfectly.
4. Getting into a lovely hot bath after a particularly challenging day.
5. Waking up five minutes before your alarm and realising you can go back to sleep.
6. Finding the perfect parking space right outside where you're going.
7. Getting a window seat on the train.
8. When someone cancels plans and you're secretly quite relieved.
9. Taking the first sip of a cup of tea when it's exactly the right temperature.
10. Finding out something you thought was going to be expensive is actually quite cheap.
11. When your favourite song comes on the radio just as you get in the car.
12. Peeling the plastic film off a new phone or gadget.
13. Getting into freshly washed bedsheets.
14. When the supermarket queue you're in moves surprisingly quickly.
15. Finding an extra chip at the bottom of the takeaway bag.
16. When your phone battery is still on 80% at the end of the day.
17. Getting a text from someone you were just thinking about.
18. When the traffic lights turn green just as you approach them.
19. Taking your bra off at the end of the day.
20. When you find exactly what you're looking for in the first shop.
21. The first sunny day after a long stretch of grey weather.
22. When someone says they were just about to message you.
23. Discovering a new TV series that has six seasons already.
24. When the duvet cover goes on perfectly without a struggle.
25. Getting a parcel delivered earlier than expected.
26. When you get a really good night's sleep without waking up once.
27. Finding a shortcut that actually turns out to be a shortcut.
28. When someone pays for your coffee.
29. Getting a compliment from a complete stranger.
30. When you manage to catch something just before it falls off the table.
31. Finding a really good book in a charity shop for £1.
32. When you have just enough leftovers for another meal.
33. When your favourite supermarket item is reduced just as you were about to buy it.
34. The feeling of getting home and taking your shoes off.
35. When you remember you've got something delicious in the fridge.
36. Getting a delivery notification just as you're getting home.
37. When someone remembers a tiny detail you mentioned weeks ago.
38. Discovering you have no plans for the weekend.
39. When the rain stops just as you need to go outside.
40. Finding a perfectly ripe avocado.
41. When you get the last seat on a crowded train.
42. When you pull a perfectly intact piece of toast out of the toaster.
43. When you get a spontaneous invitation somewhere exciting.
44. The smell of someone cooking something delicious as you walk past their house.
45. When you finally find the missing lid for a container.
46. When you get a parking ticket and discover it's actually just a warning.
47. When you wake up and realise it's Saturday.
48. Getting into bed knowing you've got absolutely nothing to do tomorrow.
49. When you find a new favourite song and play it on repeat.
50. When someone laughs really hard at something you've said.
51. When you pull a sock out of the washing machine and its matching pair is right there.
52. When you guess someone's age correctly.
53. When you open a packet of crisps and it's unusually full.
54. Getting the perfect amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush.
55. When the toast pops up just as you're walking into the kitchen.
56. When you manage to remove a sticker in one perfect piece.
57. Finding a really good pen that writes beautifully.
58. When you get a green man at every pedestrian crossing on your walk.
59. When you accidentally make a meal that tastes better than anything you've cooked before.
60. When you find an old photo that you'd completely forgotten existed.
61. When you get the perfect amount of milk in your tea without measuring.
62. When you pull a duvet corner into place on the first attempt.
63. When you arrive somewhere and realise you're actually ten minutes early.
64. When someone gives you the bigger half without making a fuss about it.
65. When you find a new little independent shop that sells exactly the sort of things you love.
66. When you take something out of the freezer and realise you've remembered to defrost it.
67. When you get a seat on the Tube just as you're starting to feel tired.
68. When you discover that something you thought you'd lost was in your bag all along.
69. When the first pancake comes out perfectly round.
70. When you get a really satisfying click as something slots into place.