Happiness Day 4: Give a little love!

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Happiness Day 3: Betty..Bitter.. Better..Butter?

Oscar Wilde said “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” 

I said " I refuse to just exist. I choose to thrive. I choose to evolve. I choose to challenge myself"

I woke up really content and happy this morning, the weather was great, I got breakfast and tea served in bed by my Mary amma, got dressed in time to work and then came the SMACK in my face--TRAFFIC! I wanted to drive by the lake on my way to work because I wanted to play good music and feel the wind in my hair but instead I got stuck in vicious work traffic. I didn't let it tarnish my spirit and stayed hopeful! I got to work and I found a great parking spot so I was all up and chirpy again. I then went up to the office terrace to have chai and experience the whole wind-in-my-hair and BAM!- the sun came up and ruined the entire feeling. Even then I decided to wait out the entire day and see how it goes. I traversed through all the emotions Darth Vader did, but at the end of the day in spite of my ridiculously high expectations of happiness..I'm Happy =)

I'm Happy because:

• I made up my mind to be so.
• For once I quoted myself =)

Happiness Journal Day 2 - Big things always come in little packages

“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” 

I made up my mind to be happy no matter what yesterday and yet this morning I woke up grumpy, feeling sleep deprived and absolutely mad at myself for not making it to the gym at 6 am. To blow off some steam I decided it was better to get online and check emails, Facebook etc. than yell at someone and make my day worse! 

The minute I logged in, I already had a bullet point for my post today; My friend Prateeks comment on the blog made my day. It got even better when my postcard-sending-heart-warming-random-bar guy-turned-platonic-friend told me he was coming to visit me in January (yaaay!).

The power of thought I tell you! Make up your mind to have/do something and all else falls into place. The 2 minutes it took this morning to change my mood from awful to awe-full made my conviction even stronger that happiness is never about big sweeping circumstances, its always about the little things. Always.

So, I am happy today because:

• " I decided to write today again after a long hiatus, making a lot of other people happy! " 
• I am super excited about my January visitor.
• My friend Priyam is back from a loong vacation! yaaay! I missed him tons!
• Maadu - the damsel in distress is relieved from her issues for the day and I was relieved for her.
• My mum and I had a big bad fight last night and we sorted things this morning. *good sign*
• I said what I was really thinking. I hate people who beat around the bush and  sugar-coat things. I believe in being direct and owning up to not knowing something. I embraced the awkward by looking at it square on and that made me feel lighter!
• A late night call that was scheduled at work got cancelled and I made it to the gym after work. Nothing beats a good workout and a cupcake after :)

Happiness Journal Day 1 - Setting the stage

Søren Kierkegaard said “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

In order to understand life backwards I need an account of everything that has happened/keeps happening, hence I've decided to keep a Happiness Journal =)

Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude. (An added bonus: Later, when my memory is defunct, I will look back at all the meaningful adventures I have recorded!)

Today I am happy because--
- I decided to take charge of my day and make it go as I want it to and not let the day rule over me =) I kick started the day by meeting an old friend which was long overdue.

- Someone I know is so adorable that a pack of color coded Mentos makes them giggle with amusement. I like people who take joys in trivial pleasures! Makes even the little things seem so worthwhile.

- A blind kid who gained vision as a teenager thanks to advancement in ophthalmology; a subject I covered when I was working with the Times of India, messaged me today after 3 years to ask me how I was and if I remembered him. Made me feel so significant suddenly.

- My best friends dad who could have had possible health complications is free from the vicious hospital woes.