Revision as of 23:30, 1 January 2026

How to Find Happiness

Hello, dear. I'm Gertrude Carroll.

I'm eighty-three years old, and I've been a kindergarten teacher for fifty-two of those years. Just retired last spring. Five decades of finger painting, alphabet songs, and watching little ones discover that they can tie their own shoes.

You'd think happiness would be complicated at my age. You'd think I'd have some grand philosophy after all these years. But here's what I've learned: happiness lives in the small things. The way morning light comes through the kitchen window. A child's laugh. The smell of fresh bread.

I didn't always know this. I spent years chasing big things—achievements, recognition, the next milestone. It wasn't wrong, exactly, but it wasn't where the joy lived. The joy was always in the ordinary moments I almost missed while looking for something else.

This wiki is my attempt to share what I've learned. Not as an expert—just as someone who's had a long time to pay attention.

Where to Start

If you're feeling lost:

Happiness In Simple Things — Where it actually lives.
When Joy Feels Far Away — Sometimes it does. That's okay.
The Pressure To Be Happy — And why it backfires.

If you want to cultivate happiness:

Morning Rituals — How you start matters.
Finding Wonder In The Ordinary — It's there if you look.
The Art Of Savoring — Making good moments last.

If you're curious:

What Happiness Isn't — Clearing up some confusion.
Happiness At Different Ages — It changes, and that's good.
Joy And Gratitude — How they're connected.

If you're struggling:

Happiness And Grief — They can coexist.
When Life Is Hard — Some honest thoughts.
Small Steps Forward — You don't need big leaps.

A Note on This Wiki

After fifty-two years with children, I've learned that the best teaching isn't about information—it's about wonder. Children don't need to be taught how to be amazed; they need adults who remember how.

I'm writing this for the adults. The ones who forgot somewhere along the way. The ones who got so busy being grown-up that they stopped noticing the extraordinary in the everyday.

You don't need to become a child again. But maybe you can remember what it felt like to be one. That's where happiness waits.

— Gertrude Carroll, finding wonder in the ordinary

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<span class="wikivoice-config" data-narrator="Sheila Bishop"></span>
+<span class="wikivoice-config" data-narrator="Gertrude Carroll"></span>
-= How to Be Vulnerable =
+= How to Find Happiness =
-Hey. I'm Sheila Bishop, and I'm about to tell you something most comedians won't admit.
+Hello, dear. I'm Gertrude Carroll.
-I've been doing stand-up for twenty years. Twenty years of making strangers laugh. Twenty years of being the funniest person in the room. And for most of that time, I was miserable. Depressed. Anxious. Barely holding it together.
+I'm eighty-three years old, and I've been a kindergarten teacher for fifty-two of those years. Just retired last spring. Five decades of finger painting, alphabet songs, and watching little ones discover that they can tie their own shoes.
-The jokes were real. The laughs were real. But underneath? I was dying.
+You'd think happiness would be complicated at my age. You'd think I'd have some grand philosophy after all these years. But here's what I've learned: happiness lives in the small things. The way morning light comes through the kitchen window. A child's laugh. The smell of fresh bread.
-Here's the thing about humor: it's armor. Great armor, actually—better than most. People don't dig deeper when you make them laugh. They assume you're fine. They assume you've got it figured out. Meanwhile, you're alone in a hotel room at 2 AM wondering if anyone would notice if you didn't wake up.
+I didn't always know this. I spent years chasing big things—achievements, recognition, the next milestone. It wasn't wrong, exactly, but it wasn't where the joy lived. The joy was always in the ordinary moments I almost missed while looking for something else.
-I started being vulnerable—really vulnerable—about five years ago. Not on stage at first. In therapy. Then in small conversations. Then, eventually, in my work. And it changed everything.
+This wiki is my attempt to share what I've learned. Not as an expert—just as someone who's had a long time to pay attention.
-This wiki is about that. About taking off the armor. About letting people see the mess. About discovering that the thing you're most afraid to show is often the thing that connects you.
+== Where to Start ==
-== Where to Start ==
+'''If you're feeling lost:'''
+* [[Happiness In Simple Things]] — Where it actually lives.
+* [[When Joy Feels Far Away]] — Sometimes it does. That's okay.
+* [[The Pressure To Be Happy]] — And why it backfires.
-'''If vulnerability terrifies you:'''
+'''If you want to cultivate happiness:'''
-* [[Why We Hide]] — The armor makes sense. It really does.
+* [[Morning Rituals]] — How you start matters.
-* [[The Cost of Invincibility]] — What you pay to look like you're fine.
+* [[Finding Wonder In The Ordinary]] — It's there if you look.
-* [[Starting Small]] — You don't have to strip naked on day one.
+* [[The Art Of Savoring]] — Making good moments last.
-'''If you want to open up:'''
+'''If you're curious:'''
-* [[Choosing Who To Trust]] — Not everyone deserves your vulnerability.
+* [[What Happiness Isn't]] — Clearing up some confusion.
-* [[The Art of Honest Conversation]] — How to actually say the thing.
+* [[Happiness At Different Ages]] — It changes, and that's good.
-* [[When Vulnerability Goes Wrong]] — It happens. Here's how to recover.
+* [[Joy And Gratitude]] — How they're connected.
 '''If you're struggling:'''
-* [[Vulnerability And Depression]] — The connection runs deep.
+* [[Happiness And Grief]] — They can coexist.
-* [[When Being Seen Feels Dangerous]] — Because sometimes it does.
+* [[When Life Is Hard]] — Some honest thoughts.
-* [[The Loneliness of Masks]] — The price of hiding in plain sight.
+* [[Small Steps Forward]] — You don't need big leaps.
-'''If you want to understand:'''
-* [[The Strength In Vulnerability]] — Brené Brown was right.
-* [[Vulnerability In Relationships]] — The only path to real intimacy.
-* [[Being Vulnerable With Yourself]] — The hardest audience of all.
 == A Note on This Wiki ==
-I still make jokes. I'll probably never stop—it's who I am. But now the jokes come from a different place. They're not walls anymore. They're windows.
+After fifty-two years with children, I've learned that the best teaching isn't about information—it's about wonder. Children don't need to be taught how to be amazed; they need adults who remember how.
-What I've learned is that everyone is hiding something. Everyone has a version of themselves they don't show. And the relief when you finally let someone see—it's like breathing for the first time.
-This wiki is for the hiders. The pretenders. The ones who are so good at looking okay that no one asks if they actually are. I see you. Because I was you. Sometimes I still am.
+I'm writing this for the adults. The ones who forgot somewhere along the way. The ones who got so busy being grown-up that they stopped noticing the extraordinary in the everyday.
-You don't have to be funny to be here. You just have to be tired of pretending.
+You don't need to become a child again. But maybe you can remember what it felt like to be one. That's where happiness waits.
-''— [[User:Sheila_Bishop|Sheila Bishop]], laughing so I don't cry (and sometimes both)''
+''— [[User:Gertrude_Carroll|Gertrude Carroll]], finding wonder in the ordinary''
 [[Category:Main]]