Happiness is a long, nine-letter word if you look at it, but the emotion that is attached to it even bigger.
Happiness is a feeling that cannot be measured, but you can definitely tell if someone is just a little bit happy or somebody who is elated.
Being happy is an emotion that comes from inside, and is different for every individual. I have seen people happy with very little in their lives. I also have come across many people who have so much and they are unhappy.
One thing is for sure that happiness is not connected to material things. Some younger generations might not agree with me on this one, but I will assure you that growing in age will make it very clear that happiness is not connected with material things. Material things can definitely bring convenience in your life, but it would be almost impossible for them to be a source of happiness.
Let us put things in perspective with a real-life example. Suppose you got the latest iPhone with all the upgrades, but you have no friends or family to talk to. On the other hand, you have an old phone, but it is ringing all the time and your family and friends are always checking up on you. What would you want? You would always want the latter one.
Material things can bring a temporary sense of achievement or short-lived gratification, but there is no guarantee that it will bring you joy or happiness.
I want all of you to get in the mind set where you become responsible for your own happiness. What would be a better time to do so other than the festive month of December!
I love all things festive. The lights, the smells, the food, family gatherings, the gifts, the decorations, I love them all.
I have loved this season forever. I have a bit of a sweet tooth and I get a little overboard with the desserts during this time of the year. Most of my family knows that I start baking like crazy just after Thanksgiving and it lasts till New Year’s Eve. Baking is something that brings me joy. I find it very relaxing and, in my house, it brings everybody together. I love looking at my family enjoying the home-made cookies and brownies.
Apart from baking, there is something else that really makes me spellbound. The decorations that I get to see in the holiday season is something I look forward to the whole year. I love going around my neighborhood and soaking up the beauty of the holiday season after dark.
The most memorable experience was when I visited Disneyland during Christmas time.
It’s like, when you are there, you are free from all the worries and the festive season becomes extra joyful for you. If you have kids, I would strongly suggest you visit during Christmas Season, and, I assure you, it will be a memory of a lifetime for your family.
I love making people happy, and it is not very hard to make me happy. My husband might not agree with me on that one, as he tends to FORGET the special days that are particularly related to me. With kids and so much happening in our busy lives, it is normal and I know he cares, but it gets overshadowed in our busy routines. Even with the bumps in the road that we face, he knows how to make me happy. He knows that I love surprises, and he is so good at giving surprises. He travels a lot for work and I try to put extra effort with cooking when he is home and he loves it.
Small things here and there keep us going. There are good days and there are bad days but I believe if we keep up with our efforts to have a happy life, better days will come.
I am going to wrap up by advising all of you to make it a point to find at least one happy moment in your life every day. The elated feeling that you get when you help someone cannot be compared to anything else.
Life will have ups and downs. You have to make sure you take out your share of happiness from it.
You probably have heard “smiling is contagious.” Happiness is the same way. It spreads, if you try. Aiming for big things is necessary to succeed in life, but don’t lose the sight of small happy moments in your life. Cherish them and stay happy.
To read more from Nadia, make sure you check out her blog and social media profiles!
Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash
