Happiness and You!!!
A very close friend of mine gifted me a notebook from Pondicherry. I wore a smile on my face every time I looked at that book, not because it was extremely beautiful and made of recycled papers but because it was gifted to me by her- who loves me so much and adds life to my tiresome day after I return home from work with her hug and warmth. The girl is my roommate and the book is one of the many sources of happiness in my life J
Where does your happiness lie?
It’s a vague and very open ended question which is left to multiple answers in different dimensions. Logically put, happiness lies in everything, everybody and everywhere we look. Because what you don’t find to be delightful enough to make you happy, might be blissful for many. Similarly, what gives you immense pleasure can be sheer boredom for few. Hence we conclude this word to be omnipresent yet so difficult to find in this tiny world. Strange!
What makes a life filled with happiness?
The ingredients to experience this feeling is sometimes age specific and other times people specific. As a kid, you believe it to be a mix of colors, playfulness and lots of energy. For teenagers its brands, fashion, games and beginning to fall in love. Young adults start to “explore” their happiness and find it in painting, traveling, singing, playing instruments etc. — I explored mine in writing. With time you become materialistic and define your happiness being proportionate to the wealth you acquire. The last stage of human beings demands happiness in the form of praise, self-praise and respect in the society
Interestingly, there are individuals who enjoy their life being around animals, mostly all love being around their families & friends and very few like to be alone all by themselves asking for no affection. You see, every complex being has its own way of celebrating life which we call as happiness.
Emotions are the driving force
There are innumerable emotions which we exhibit since the time we were born until death. These emotions are placed on our mood subject to the environment around us, hormonal changes in our bodies, being able to analyze ourselves and forever ignorant about the happenings
Environment- A good environment is equivalent to high level of contentment. How do you define good environment? — Anything that brings a smile on your face. It can be cracking jokes, gossiping with your girlfriends, shopping in a mall, writing an article, tranquility in mountains, gazing at the sea, hearing birds chirp, surrounding yourself with your favorite music, gobbling
your most loved dessert, ANYTHING! For some, good environment includes taking revenge out of negative emotions; now that depends on the intensity of the revenge.
Hormonal changes — Hitting puberty, monthly attack of pre- menstrual syndrome, undergoing menopause, suffering from inferiority complex and unnecessarily over-thinking can often cause hormonal imbalance that leads to exhibition of extreme emotions. The behavior pattern is different than regular days and reaction to actions is unpredictable. Smallest of issues, which sometimes are not even issues are being given the fist of fury. On the other hand, little of the littlest things in life that are boredom to all give infinite joy and pleasure to you. It’s a myth that chemical reaction that occurs to the hormones in a human body results only into frowning and frustration, it does have the happy side to it, sometimes so happy and content that it leaves the surrounding speechless.
Introspection- Perhaps the most trending thing, specifically in young adults. When the worldly affairs, mental pressures and karma start to take a toll on your life and health, you know it’s a cause for concern. The self-blame game starts. To attain mental peace, meditation becomes a healthy way of living and spirituality guides you in leading your life that keeps you happy. For some, non-materialistic happiness becomes a way of life, while some develop control over their actions and words building good interpersonal relationships. In a nutshell, the process aggravates positivity in your environment and satisfaction in your soul which is the key to ultimate happiness.
Ignorance- In today’s world which is filled with biasness, filth, judgments, unwanted opinions, greed and lust, it is good to be unaware of not only unpleasant situations but every situation around you. Being ignorant about people’s life, their choices and gestures will entitle you as a “spaced out” person (well, hippie is the millennial term). But isn’t it so stress-free? You don’t want to indulge into gossips and technicality of things, which means you don’t care about excellence but just ensure you give your best shot. Running away from reality is called being coward but running away from crude and harsh reality that exists in this era is called happiness. The more you investigate on things, processes and output worse will your life become getting trapped in the darkness we unwanted knowledge. For a foodie like me, being ignorant to new dishes which later will adapt to my taste buds on frequent basis is only going to kill my digestive system in the coming years making me obese; because I have a sweet jaw and any dish that pleases me has to be some form of dessert. Hence a wise woman very truly said upon which we all must agree “Ignorance is bliss”
Hence the conclusion — happiness in its various forms, shapes, sizes and colors ensure jaw exercises, healthy living, creative thinking, energy saving and money making; hence derive it from wherever and whichever source you feel (of course, without harming anyone) will bring you that broad smile which I get seeing the notebook my friend gifted me
