Life is a strange place. For most it resembles a vast ocean, and any trace of happiness would be similar to a drop of joy in a sea of sadness. However, no matter how much we brood over the sad incidents that plague our lives, there will always be a handful of happy moments to look back to.
The best part is that these little moments of goodness need not be simply an aspect of the past. It may be found in the smallest and the most insignificant activities of the day. And the pure joy in experiencing these chance incidents of happiness make the day worth living and life worth enjoying.
Think about it, you might be having a really rough week at work. The workload keeps increasing while the deadlines become merciless. You are almost drowning under the pressure and your boss seems to be really not impressed by the way you are handling the situation! This seems like hell, but what if one fine morning as you enter your cubicle and sit at your desk, you notice a small chocolate bar with a message: You are doing well, you will make it through? Surely, that will be the best emotional boost that you may receive at work. Most importantly, it might be everything you require in order to see yourself through the hard time.
Or maybe you are just in love with the strays near your home! You have a habit of feeding them every day after returning from work or your classes. That might be the only time of the day when you get to see them wagging their tails happily all at the same time. It is pretty natural that you will be dead tired, beaten and bruised after a rough day. Fighting the world regularly has taken its toll on you and there is nothing much you can do except drag your legs all the way to a nice hot water bath and then crashing on the bed! But right before you are about to walk inside your home, you feel something cool and wet touching your fingers. You turn around and notice that it is the stray dog that lives in the lane with a big smile spread on his face. He wags his tail in vague anticipation of your next move; deep within he knows that you love him too and when you smile and click your tongue at him, his happiness knows no bounds! You will satiate his hunger not just with the biscuits in your hand but also the love in your heart.
One of the greatest joys in the world is the ability to give birth. But then you are bound to ask what about men? Men do not give birth, do they? This is where plants come in. When we talk of birth we are simply not speaking about humans. Have you ever tried planting a seed and watering it every day? A lot of patience and consistency is required to help a seed grow into a sapling. No matter how small the plant watching the first leaves sprout is always a happy moment for the one who plants the seed. Most importantly, it gives the person a sense of accomplishment and joy at seeing an inanimate object transform into an entity that has a life of its own. The moment you get to see little leaves sprouting from the soil, you will be filled with a keen sense of joy that is sure to make you smile. This joy will accompany you for a long long time.
One of the greatest repositories of good moments is the world that surrounds you. If you think about the people and places spread all around you, then you will be mesmerized by its sheer propensity to make a person smile. If you live nearby a river, you can always go to the riverside at dawn, sit by the riverbanks with an earthen pot full of masala chai and watch the day open its eyes! The moment is sure to fill you with a calmness that nothing else can offer.
There are countless places and incidents around you to offer that moment of perfect bliss; you only need to calm yourself and identify them when they appear before you. Tune in to your inner goodness, it will always make you smile.
Written By Poonam Chatterjee
Week 15, April 2021
