Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be happy.
Everyone I have met has a different definition of it. Lately, I have been feeling some kind of way about everything that is happening in the world. I am angry, frustrated, sad and then all of it together.
I could no longer keep going like this. Everything felt like a drag.
To life myself up, I decided to re-read my journals titled ‘My Happy Days’.
After going through all those journal entries, I realized for me happiness was synonymous with gratefulness and being content. The days I practised gratitude and gratefulness were in fact, my happy days.
However, this was not always the case.
When I was younger, I chased after materialistic things. Back then, I associated happiness with superficial and materialistic things. For instance, I thought having a good shoe collection would elevate my life. Or, fame, hot boyfriend, model looks, great ass, etc… The list is endless.
I was naive to think any of it will be a factor in the quality of my life. They weren’t. Neither will they ever be.
I have since realized that happiness remains hidden in little things…
It is to stop and smell the roses. Savouring the present. Enjoying good food with the your people. Long walks. Night sky full of stars. Good coffee. Great wine. Ice cream on a hot day (or any day). Amazing sex. Caring for others. Practising kindness.
Just open yourself up to the little joys of life. And, that’s the secret.
Just a a few hours after writing this post, I stumbled upon this beautiful poem on Pinterest (of course, where else?) that ties in with this post. And, I wanted to share it with you…
We’re waiting for tomorrow,
But tomorrow never comes,
Our last breath is right upon our heels,
Yet we still refuse to run,
86 400 seconds,
And we’re in another day,
All slipping through our fingers,
As we look the other way,
Days, weeks, months and years,
Are made up of right now.
A string of fleeting moments,
That we never can pin down,
We gaze into the future,
As though it’s where we’re meant to be,
Always planning for that day,
When we can say that we’re happy,
We spend so long looking forward,
That we may as well be blind,
Since we don’t see until the very end,
All the things we’ve left behind,
Now I know it’s just a theory,
But I think I’ve worked out how,
The only way to happiness,
Is to love what we have now.
P.S.
So simple. Who knew?
xx
Yachna
(Illustration by Yaoyaomva) (Poem by Erin Hanson)
Really needed this today. Thank you so much for writing this.
I am so glad you enjoyed it. Much love xoxo
This is extremely relatable, I spent the majority of my early twenties chasing materials and in the end miserable because they didn’t bring me the same joy as human connection and exploring the world. Love the post girly! Can’t wait to hear more about what brings you happiness!
Honestly, what a relief? Those bags and shoes made me happy for like a hot second. And, that was all I got from it. I am glad my thought process is no longer the same. I am much more focused on meaningful human connections.
This content is something that I can exactly relate to. I had such a wonderful read today. You are truly doing an amazing work sharing factual information and I hope you continue to flourish. Thank you 😊
I totally agree on this! Such a gem
I can totally relate. Your blog posts are so relatable. We as humans need to thank more.
Thank you Palak. More people need to be grateful.