Endorphins, dopamine and serotonin: the fantastic neurotransmitters that intoxicate us with happiness. They naturally relieve stress, stimulate the brain’s pleasure receptors and regulate mood and energy. Could we ask for cooler biology?

I’m reminded of a brilliant epiphany of a friend:
“They should just make medicine so everyone has high amounts of those all the time!”

Brilliant, but then we realized—that medicine, already existing, is called morphine. Meth. Heroin. Opiates. The dangerous substances that imitate and amplify the euphoric effects of natural brain chemicals.

So, you could say that epiphany reached a roadblock. But we all can’t help but still want that feeling, some kind escape from mental stress that lets joy truly blossom. Except rather than swallowing illicit pills or injecting sharp needles, our brains allow us to dance toward cloud nine with natural chemistry.

You’ve heard of typical methods to boost neurotransmitters: eat chocolate, lay in the sun, go sprint after a “runner’s high.” Maybe those work for you, maybe they don’t. Everyone’s chemistry is different—for instance, I feel oddly blissful while driving barefoot, no shoe or sock between my skin and the pedal. You possibly (probably) don’t. But you never know until you try.

So, I’m not going to pretend I have the natural key to happiness, and I’m not going to give you drugs to synthesize it, either.

What I will do is identify about my own liberations—the things that flood my mind with those sweet neurotransmitters, let me forget about stress and appreciate this phenomenal world—and share them. I’ll blog about random things that simply make me happy, make me think “Gah! Life is cool!”, and hope that you find similar solace, or inspiration to find your own. It’s often music, maybe an experience, maybe something I discovered while browsing the Internet or taking a walk. Who knows exactly where I’ll take this, but hey, surprises release endorphins, too.