How to be Happy: Footnotes

The things that make us happy vary vastly with our age and circumstances.

What made us happy at age 4 is not likely to make us happy at 34 (though if it does, congratulations! You’ve already cracked the happiness code and don’t need this article.) Where an extra biscuit at snack-time would have had us squealing with joy at 4 years old, it’s a gourmet dinner that will likely satisfy us at 34 years old.

Thus, happiness is a state of mind.

What if we could bring back the joy we felt, at 4 years old, for an extra biscuit? Imagine the innumerable joys we would experience then, every single day.

Almost every moment would become a cause for celebration.

Here’s how to be happy. Cast aside your self-doubt and uncertainty, embrace this list, and watch your life transform!

Play in the rain.
Ask for rainbow sprinkles on your ice cream.
Dial a random number, ask them if their refrigerator is running. If they say yes, ask them to catch it before it gets away!
Call up someone you love and tell them you love them. Tell them why.
Read an Enid Blyton book.
Dip biscuits into your tea, watch the soggy bits fall in and scoop them out with a spoon.
Wear an outfit that you would have picked out as a child but would never wear as an adult.
Write a letter of love to your young self.
Eat right.
Go to bed at the same time every night.

That’s it. This is the list that will change your life. I guarantee it. Because happiness really is found in the little things. Happiness is about finding the moments that make us feel alive and grateful. Happiness is right here, right now.

All we have to do is open our eyes to it.

Comments

Parenting Maybe Amazing but It’s Not Easy

There’s nothing more satisfying than being a mom but I would be lying if I said it didn’t come with its fair share of challenges. You can read all the books for parental guidance , ask your pediatrician a million questions, scout advice from veteran moms; but let’s agree upon the fact that every child is unique with different needs. What one person might swear by may not work in your case. This can cause a lot of worry and frustration. There is no one size fits all guide. If there was, all parents would be raising perfect kids and they would be a lot less stressed out. But truth be told: parenting is no walk in the park. Parenting turns individuals into warriors. Cradling a crying baby while doing house chores, cleaning poop that’s been smeared all over the place, carrying your sleeping toddler while looking out for his belongings all take a lot of strength and courage. Most parents don’t even realize when they turn into warriors. However, by the end of their role as a new parent, the...

The Effects of Meditation

She watched helplessly as he walked slowly to the door. Almost like he was hoping she would stop him. But that had never been her way. Today, he was leaving. Just like he had been telling her for two long years. Preparing her, steeling her for his inevitable departure. Her lips trembled as he reached the door. One hand on the doorknob, he turned to look at her one last time. “Bye Ma.” His voice came out a whisper and just for a moment, she was taken back twenty-one years ago to when he spoke his first word. Didi – a whisper, a sliver of voice just like now. His sister had shrieked in delight and picked him up, swung him around as they both laughed unabashedly. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him now, six foot one, and more far away than she had ever imagined him being. “Bye.” Her voice was a whisper too and she knew she was on the verge of a breakdown. If he was leaving, it had to be now. Almost as if he knew, he gave her a smile and turned away, but not before she caught ...

A Self-Important Life

“Modesty is the colour of virtue.” The essence of this saying by Diogenes, a Greek philosopher, has likely shaped our growing-up years. Indeed, to be modest and humble was the very definition of a talented person. The more intelligent one was the more modest one was expected to be. Like anything though, modesty is best had when served in moderate doses. Swing too far the other way and we’ll hit the first of the building blocks that make up our personality – self-esteem. Why is self-esteem important? Quoting Brene Brown, an American professor and author, “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be and embracing who we are.” High self-esteem naturally breaks down barriers and allows us to step into vulnerability. And what is vulnerability? Accepting ourselves as we are at any given moment. The more vulnerable we allow ourselves to be, the more authentic we become. And this root of being oneself stems from the value we give ourselves – in...

Krishna's Musings on Life

Search This Blog