Thirty things that bring happiness to my life

If someone asks me what makes me happy, I can probably recollect only a couple of things that really make me feel like I’m on top of the world. But till date, I have never really sat down and listed them. This prompt gave me an opportunity to take a break from the usual routine and reflect instead. I started remembering moments, people and things that made me happy. So here’s my most precious thirty –

• The three men in my life –

My toddler, my husband and my father bring out the best in me. I am the happiest when I am around them. Spending time with my father, having a heartfelt conversation with my husband and cuddling my toddler always bring a smile to my face. Also, the story time that I have with my toddler before he sleeps every night last is our moment of togetherness and bonding.

• Friends –

I have a handful of friends but I am grateful for their presence in my life. Conversations with them really lift up my spirits.

• Writing –

I quit my job as a Banker to chase my passion for writing last year. And till date, I consider this to be the best decision of my life. When I write, I am the happiest.

• The tag of a published author –

This year in the month of May, I published my debut novella ‘Deal of Death’ on the Blogchatter platform. Until then I was a blogger but this opportunity made me an author. While I am still giving it finishing touches before putting it up on Amazon, I will always consider the moment of transitioning into a published author as one of the happiest ones of my life.

• Rains –

I love the rainy season, especially if I have the option to stay indoors. The smell of the earth after rains is probably one of my most favorite ones.

• Books –

Purchasing and reading them, especially thrillers gives me a high. I am still orthodox in the way I read my books. I prefer to hold them while reading instead of the e-book version. Also, the smell of a new book is beautiful.

• Comics –

Recently I completed the collection of the full set of Tintin, Asterix, Bengali comic sets like Bantul, Handa-Bhonda and Nonte-Fonte. It has been one of the happiest moments of my life and reading them is another level of joy altogether.

• My black cup –

My Dad bought me a black coffee cup when I left home for the first time in 1999 for higher studies. Over the past sixteen years that I spent studying or working in various cities, this cup has been my constant companion so much so that I call it my family. Next year, it will be two decades of togetherness for us and this is one of my most cherished possessions. Having a cup of coffee in my favorite black cup is a moment of joy for me every day.

• Coffee –

I doubt if I could have survived half the incidents of life if I didn’t have my milky-sugary cup of strong coffee to keep me going. Coffee is my poison.

• Delicious food –

A plate of well-cooked, delicious dish can lighten up my mood. Epecially, biriyani is bae. I need to specify that this has to be served with potato.

• Music –

My taste in music has evolved at every phase in life. But time and again, my favorite musicians have managed to have a calming effect on me. Till date, I sleep only after listening to one song at least.

• Movies & Web series –

Though the number of movies I watch at a theatre has drastically reduced now, I still enjoy catching them over TV or web. And I love web series, especially those in the thriller, romantic or comedy genre. The fact that they have a finite life period makes me happy.

• Stand up comedy shows –

I enjoy them both on YouTube and live. I have been watching a lot of Indian stand up comedy lately and I must say that they are great.

• Letters –

During those sixteen years that I stayed away from home, I used to write letters to my parents for quite a while. I wrote letters to my close friends as well. This was before mobile phones took over our lives and message became the preferred choice. I have preserved all the letters that I received from my friends and family. Reading them makes me happy. After my son was born, I started writing letters once again. I generally post them on my blog and also send a copy to his e-mail id. When he is old enough to read and comprehend them, I intend to give him the password of the mail so that he can understand all those words that his mother wanted to convey to him.

• Old pictures full of memories –

I have a huge fascination towards collecting photographs. They make me nostalgic and happy. The ones of my late mother undoubtedly are a precious lot.

• Travel –

I used to be an avid traveler before motherhood turned me into a planned one. But this is one thing that can always make me happy because I love exploring places.

• Photography –

I discovered my love for clicking photos only recently. I still use my mobile phone for this purpose but I am trying to learn the craft.

• Hill stations –

Darjeeling was the first hill station I ever visited as a toddler. I have traveled far and wide since then but this city never fails to amaze me. I have always been the happiest whenever the destination has been a hill station.

• Giving back to the society –

In my limited way, I try to give a voice to issues that need to be written about. I make a conscious effort to help out those who might not be so privileged. The happiness I get from such work is long-lasting.

• Love –

The feeling of being loved is probably the best booster for happiness.

• Surprises –

It is a little difficult to give me a surprise because I have this habit of poking my nose in anything that is supposed to remain a secret. But, whenever someone has managed to pull it off, the grin on my face has stayed on for a really long time.

• Motherhood –

The first time that I held my son, I cried my heart out. The happiness of seeing a piece of my heart in my arms will probably stay unparalleled.

• Chocolates –

I love dark chocolates. A bar of Bournville or Amul dark chocolate has never failed to bring a smile to my face.

• Flowers –

I love fresh flowers, especially orchids. They bring a beautiful fragrance and positivity to any place.

• Handmade notebooks –

I have such a huge collection that it could surprise most of the people. Yet I feel like I could still do with some more. Since I have this habit of writing down ideas and thoughts in the notebook, they also hold a lot of memories of the past.

• Finding money in the most unlikely of places –

Whenever I find money in the most unexpected place like inside an old bag, in the pocket of jeans or in the drawer chest, it leads to an insurmountable amount of joy.

• Sleep –

I am going to sound a little crazy here but at one point of time, the only way I survived through a grilling week was by dreaming about the sleep that I could get over the weekend. Every weekend I would wake up only at noon and go to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. I still sleep in the wee hours of the morning because of my writing schedule but with a toddler, sleeping late even for a day is delusional.

• Practicing what I preach –

I write on a lot of social causes like the need for quashing gender stereotypes. In my house, I try to practice what I write about. And every small feat makes me happy.

• Making someone else happy –

There’s so much happiness in bringing a smile to someone else’s face that this feeling lingers on for a very long period. Any small act or gesture in spreading happiness is appreciable.

• Me-time –

This has become a luxury item now but whenever possible, I try to squeeze in a little time for myself to recharge my spirits and fill myself with happiness. On this day away from the regular routine of life, I love to spend my time sipping coffee while gazing at the rains outside. I could read or write intermittently as I continue to relax. Whenever I get a chance for this me-time, it makes me wonderfully happy.

 

At a certain point of time, if I was told to list down my top reasons for happiness, it would have included the month-end salary credits, my Senior Branch Head profile, my personal success stories at my Banking job along with the national and international paid vacations that I cherished. I feel that they are also good enough reasons to make one happy. But my life has taken a turn towards becoming more empathetic and compassionate after becoming a solopreneur when I chose writing as a profession. My priorities changed when I lost my mother seven years back which led to a paradigm shift in the list of items that made me happy. The only constant factor in my happiness has been spending quality time with my family and making them happy.

If this post makes you happy, please like, comment and share.

‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’