Push Your “Happiness Button” Often

Sometimes one button can bring a smile to the face of everyone.

One of my favorite cars that I ever owned was a 2002 Mazda Miata NB. I picked it up in 2015 for $8,500 with only 12,000 miles on the odometer. It felt like driving a go-kart whenever I took it out, and on nice spring, fall and winter days there was nothing to compare to the joy I felt in putting the top down and feeling the sun on my face. Unfortunately, with three children still in the house I needed something bigger with a backseat, so in 2018 I traded in my Miata for something more “practical:” a 2009 E92 BMW M3 Convertible with only 22,000 miles on the odometer (you may have noticed that I get a lot of joy in finding low-milage, older vehicles).

Now, driving the M3 was a significantly different experience than driving the Miata. What I lost in agility and being able to nimbly whip around corners I made up for in speed, acceleration, handling, and stability. I could still put the top down and enjoy the sun on my face, but I could now do 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds. But the best part of the M3 is the ability to customize one button: the M button located on the steering wheel. The M button allows you change the settings on the car such as throttle response, handling, suspension, and traction. So, naturally, I set them all to maximum. Any time I want more power, speed, or performance I simply push that one button, stomp on the accelerator and a huge smile appears on my face.

A favorite recent memory of the M button was a sales kickoff that happened to be held just 15 minutes from my house. Not only was I able to sleep in my own bed, but I was also able to drive my own car. A few of my colleagues are gear heads and enjoy cars. When they heard that I had an E92 M3, the only M3 with a fully aspirated V8 engine, they were interested in taking a ride. In fact, one of them mentioned that he had never been in a convertible with the top down. Unfortunately, by the time we were able to finally take the car for a drive the temperature had dropped to 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees C), but I was determined to give my colleague the full convertible experience. So, we all jumped in the car, put the top down, rolled the windows up to preserve heat, blasted the heater, and were on our way. The heater and windows up didn’t do a lot to keep us warm, but while we were sitting at a red light, I made sure to press the M button. Once the light turned green, I smashed the accelerator, the engine roared and everyone whooped for joy as we let gravity press us into the seats, and one simple button brought joy and happiness to everyone in the car.

As much as I enjoy the M button, I have also found happiness in other simple things in my life. It could be playing Uno with family, watching a seed grow into cucumber plant, spotting the green anole lizard on the oak tree outside my office window doing pushups or baking up a batch of baguettes. My point is simply that joy and happiness can be found all around us in the simplest of items or experiences. Identify what makes you happy, and when you do find your “happiness button,” and push it often.