Romancing happiness:)

Many a times we find happy people around us. People who spread joy and instill optimism  that all is well with the world.  They take things as they come and have no unreasonable expectations from  themselves, life  or others in their life. It is not that they don’t have pains, disappointments,failures or  ambitions. They too desire material things and succumb to advertisers gimmicks, they might dream big, want to   vacation at exotic places but it is just that  they tackle the adversities and try to find joy in small things.  For such people happiness is not elusive and is also permanent. They easily find contentment and fulfillment and are always cheerful, happy and spread it around.

I am surrounded by many such people , some by default( family)  & some by design( friends) and it is only natural they infect me with the same. So, happiness to me is that feeling of contentment, a feeling of joy and which comes  from the security that I have such close personal relationships with happy and optimistic  people. The mutual affection combined with a life of enjoyment  seem to make me happy and fulfilled. That apart, I also find  happiness in simple things which I call  costless luxuries . Listing some below-

1)      The 5 minute sleep after the snooze button

2)      The stretches that I take

3)      Filling my home to the melody of the ‘suprabhatam’ , it is a divine feeling.

4)      Marveling at sunrise with  a  cup of chai in my hand

5)      Inhaling the early morning fresh air with a deep breath looking at the vast open ground in front of me

6)       humming a song without a care even in the lift

7)     To recline on a carpet of green grass

8)      Sleep under the star spangled sky

9)      ‘Nila sappadu’( moonlight  dinner) with extended family on the terrace

10)  Listening to a child talk

11)   The hubby coming home early

12)  The fussy daughter relishing my  experimental recipe

13)  Listening to my son’s talk( I love listening to his matured and humorous talks)

14)  The bliss of listening to a melody

15)  The freshly sprouted colors of the spring

16)  The rustle of the fallen brown autumn leaves

17)  The taste of   amma’s kaimanam( maa ka khana)

18)  The aroma of food prepared by appa( my dad, an excellent cook)

19)  Listening to the traditional stories of yore from my mil

20) Learning a new activity

21)  The feel good factor after a work out

22)  The musty smell from an old book

23)  Expressing gratitude

24)  A mail in my mail box from somebody important

25)  a comment on my blogpost

26)  chatting all through the night during family get togethers

27) laughing   with friends and leg-pulling with friends

28)   a long drive  in the car with family on the country side

29)  The fragrance of frangipani

30) The burst of life by the seeds I sow

31)  When I crack a puzzle

32)  When I paint

33)  Churning out a new recipe with left overs

34)  Upcycling , recycling or reusing

35)  Clearing / cleaning the junk

And so many more…….i am leaving the list incomplete