A walk in the woods, trek on the mountains near my childhood house, creating stories around sand castles built on the beach, playing with the sea waves, sitting on rocks to watch the sun caress its golden shimmering reflection in water at horizon as it cradled in its lap, magic tricks and sculptors creativity are some of my happy memories as a child.
Wearing mother’s saree, imitate her in kitchen and prepare ourselves sandwiches when she was away was one of the happy moment I have lived with my sister several times as a young girl. Sneaking fresh herbs from the kitchen while mother was taking her afternoon nap for cooking ventures with friends during summer holidays still cracks me up. Mother could never understand my reason for sneaking instead of asking. The joy of cooking with friends and then surprising our respective mothers was supreme to the scolding we got each time.
Happiness every first experience and moment give us are unique. Riding a bicycle, making my first cup of tea and first meal for the family as a kid, travelling independently, first shopping experience, long walks with family, first job interview, first article, first book launch, marriage, motherhood the list of happy moments is endless.
Moments give us happiness and happiness empowers us. It empowers us with more confidence, courage and belief in ourselves. Happiness is a state we always want. Blinded by our skewed understanding, big achievements are mistaken as the ultimate source of happiness and we forget to live the happiness small moments bring. We forget that small achievements lead to big achievements and small happiness lead to big happiness. When an urchin is filled slowly and gradually it will steadily hold the water but if water is poured in it with force the vessel will lose its balance and may not be able to contain the water. We are like the urchin and happiness is the flow of water. For a happy healthy well-being physically, mentally and emotionally we must recharge ourselves with happy moments in our day to day life instead of keeping the gaze fixed on long term vision, which can be overwhelming.
The logical mind always evaluates the pros and cons, right and wrong, profit and loss, assets and liabilities and it always wants to get the perfect tally. The importance and attention given to all the wrongs, liabilities, cons and losses is greater than the assets built, benefits and profits made. We expend our thought and mental energy in sulking and complaining. Negative emotions as these leave no space or willingness to be happy in small moments or achievements made.
Happiness comes with positivity and with positivity we attract abundance and faith. Conditioned happiness comes with a bag of stress, worries and anxiety when we make the insignificant significant and forget what true happiness means to us. Living in the light of compassion, love and care it keeps us in tune and connected with life and our source of happiness. Life is all about the choices we make and abiding by them. Introspecting and being mindful of own emotions, experiences, situation and people help us understand our happiness quotient.
Happiness makes a house in our life when we do not make small challenges larger than life and keep our focus steadfast on our goals. Hard work and determination helps achieve our goals. An inability to be happy in small success arises due to fear, uncertainty and duration of challenges. This uncertainty leads to stress and restlessness leading to several ailments. Our mind always in a flight and fight mode prefers a known enemy than unknown and so when encountered with the unknown, it becomes extra alert in defense and we forget what happiness is.
Worry, anxiety and stress can never bring in abundance what a happy and positive state of mind can magnetize.
To be happy we have to embrace, befriend the unknown.