The first thing that comes to my mind when anyone talks of Happiness is the famous 1959 Sound of Music soundtrack "My Favorite Things", the second thing that I remember is a mental collage of my memorable trips and the third thing is food, most of the times.
But then again, I have never really been able to define happiness. And I do not mean it in a universal way. I have never been able to figure out what happiness means to me either.
On most days, even the silliest of things make me happy. For example, I am currently very happy that Tom returned to save Lizzie from being indited for murder. If you don't get what I am talking about, you need to watch The Blacklist. So, you see, actions of fictitious characters of a television show can make me extremely happy. How silly is that?
Petty things can make me happy too! I generally do not derive pleasure from other people's miseries, but some people just deserve all the pain they get. And though I have never directly caused other people's miseries, I do tend to be happy occasionally while praising karma.
So, the new Coca-Cola India ad ( http://CokeURL.com/96jnc ) inspired me to list a few things that make me very happy!
It might seem a little silly, and even childish, listing things that make me happy. But there are days when I am not feeling so great. And I am hoping that looking at a list of things that make me happy will help me remember the good times.
So, here it goes-
1. FOOD
I am a foodie. I think I have been one even before I knew there was a special word designated for people like me. I would always suggest the menu of almost all the meals at home, even since I was a little girl, and on days when my mom would make something that specially impressed me, she would tell I was super happy, because I would shower her with hugs and kisses. That was then, and now, after more than two decades, the love is still as strong. In fact, my love for eating has evolved into my love for eating and cooking! And even though I live in a hostel, and do not have a full blown kitchen, I make do with what I have here, and try to cook. If you want to see for yourselves how much I love it, check my food dedicated blog and find out how happy food makes me.
2. TRAVEL
I have been travelling all my life, even since I was an eighteen months old baby. And I have been to at least two trips every year. I am the happiest when I am travelling. It gives me a serene kind of happiness to go to places where no one knows you, and meet people who are so different from you, and yet create long lasting memories with them. It doesn't matter how far you travel, or for how many days you travel, as long as I am away to a new place, I am happy.
3. FOREVER PEOPLE
This is a phrase I created in my mind a few years ago. The people who you just instinctively know will stay with you forever. It doesn't matter if you have coffee with them every evening, or see them once every couple of years, there are the people who you would want in a bar fight, and who you know will always have your back. I am privileged to have quite a few of them, and although there are times, when you know some people who you considered where a part of your forever people, actually aren't, you still are happy to know such amazing people. I am talking about people who make you happy when you see their names on your phone screens, or when you get unexpected handwritten letters in your mailbox.
3. BOOKS
So, this is not an exhaustive list by far, but as the song goes, whenever I am feeling sad, "I simply remember my favorite things" which generally fall in the above four categories and I find myself smiling again.
But then again, I have never really been able to define happiness. And I do not mean it in a universal way. I have never been able to figure out what happiness means to me either.
On most days, even the silliest of things make me happy. For example, I am currently very happy that Tom returned to save Lizzie from being indited for murder. If you don't get what I am talking about, you need to watch The Blacklist. So, you see, actions of fictitious characters of a television show can make me extremely happy. How silly is that?
Petty things can make me happy too! I generally do not derive pleasure from other people's miseries, but some people just deserve all the pain they get. And though I have never directly caused other people's miseries, I do tend to be happy occasionally while praising karma.
So, the new Coca-Cola India ad ( http://CokeURL.com/96jnc ) inspired me to list a few things that make me very happy!
It might seem a little silly, and even childish, listing things that make me happy. But there are days when I am not feeling so great. And I am hoping that looking at a list of things that make me happy will help me remember the good times.
So, here it goes-
1. FOOD
I am a foodie. I think I have been one even before I knew there was a special word designated for people like me. I would always suggest the menu of almost all the meals at home, even since I was a little girl, and on days when my mom would make something that specially impressed me, she would tell I was super happy, because I would shower her with hugs and kisses. That was then, and now, after more than two decades, the love is still as strong. In fact, my love for eating has evolved into my love for eating and cooking! And even though I live in a hostel, and do not have a full blown kitchen, I make do with what I have here, and try to cook. If you want to see for yourselves how much I love it, check my food dedicated blog and find out how happy food makes me.
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| Mug of Chocolate Cake |
2. TRAVEL
I have been travelling all my life, even since I was an eighteen months old baby. And I have been to at least two trips every year. I am the happiest when I am travelling. It gives me a serene kind of happiness to go to places where no one knows you, and meet people who are so different from you, and yet create long lasting memories with them. It doesn't matter how far you travel, or for how many days you travel, as long as I am away to a new place, I am happy.
 |
| Ladakh- Mom&Me |
3. FOREVER PEOPLE
This is a phrase I created in my mind a few years ago. The people who you just instinctively know will stay with you forever. It doesn't matter if you have coffee with them every evening, or see them once every couple of years, there are the people who you would want in a bar fight, and who you know will always have your back. I am privileged to have quite a few of them, and although there are times, when you know some people who you considered where a part of your forever people, actually aren't, you still are happy to know such amazing people. I am talking about people who make you happy when you see their names on your phone screens, or when you get unexpected handwritten letters in your mailbox.
 |
| 20 Years of Happiness |
I am a bookworm. Books make me happy. And although sometimes my reading choices are objectionable, I feel suffocated if I haven't read at least a couple of new books in a week. I am happy when I read new books, or go through the old ones. I am happy when I see other people enjoying books that I do. I am happy discussing books with random strangers too. I am happy when I am in a bookstore most of all.
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| Book Heaven |
4. ANIMALS
I love animals. All kinds. I have had the privilege to see dolphins perform and hold a tiger cub in my arms. I have seen the ferocious man-eaters of Sundarbans, and the pretty birds of Bharatpur. I have seen Marmots and Bactrian camels in Ladakh, and sharks in South East Asia. And I have been happy.
So, this is not an exhaustive list by far, but as the song goes, whenever I am feeling sad, "I simply remember my favorite things" which generally fall in the above four categories and I find myself smiling again.
Love it! :) Keep writing more, I urge you.
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