I stumbled on a blog by a young woman in Brooklyn named Katie Sokoler. Her photographs are beautiful and her creative use of color is captivating, but what really grabbed me was the overall message she portrays with her work. She is, literally, looking for the bright spots in life. She is actively seeking the color.

At some point in our lives, we stop looking for happiness. We expect it to just be there and if it isn’t, we accept that. We accept what is instead of seeking what could be. What we deserve. What will bring us happiness.

We wake up one morning and we are complacent. Our lives revolve around a set schedule and we are more than okay with that. We take things for granted. We expect certain things and ignore others. We begin to see dreams as just that, figments of our imagination. Not reality. Not something attainable.

The people who make a difference in life, the people who are truly successful and truly happy, are the ones who go looking for it. The people who live their lives like an anthropologist seeking answers. Always being curious. Always trying to understand the ebb and flow of life. Aware and alive at every minute, letting no feeling go by unrecognized and appreciated for what it can teach or give.

Curiosity is what keeps us inspired. Happiness is what sustains us through the darker patches in life. Look for the color everywhere. As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I plan on examining every path I travel and finding spots of color along the way.

Do you have any strategies for finding the color in life?

What makes you happy?

Can you go looking for happiness?