Happy little trees. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world full of happy little trees—branches waving as you pass by, the sun always slanted at the right angle, and life rolling on like a lazy river? Bob Ross lived this way, both in life and in art. And in the 80s and early 90s, if you tuned in to PBS on any given Saturday, his happiness could make you happy too. And though he is no longer on air, his words seem most necessary now in the politically and socially fraught world in which we live.

And so, here are five Bob Ross aphorisms in my article in Her View From Home to help you live that happy tree filled-life. Click the picture to read…