Two days ago, it was quite an usual morning when my favorite movie-mate and I were watching this really interesting movie called, Hector and the Search for Happiness. Basically, we watched the first half of the movie the night before. It was time we finished it for good.
So, we set to watch the ecstatic psychiatrist on his unplanned,impulsive journeys around the World, stopping by his old friends here and there. Only to ask a question which everyone seemed wanting to avoid ,however, as if subtly obliged to answer when confronted with.
Are you happy?
What makes you happy?
What is happiness to you?
No two person answered this question the same way. But everybody had an answer that echoed the kind of Life they were living or wanting to live. Happiness had many interpretations worldwide, and Hector,the protagonist, jotted all of them down in his medium-sized leather notebook. It was a mesmerizing movie with a number of mind-blowing quotes, which are compellingly true as well.
The end of the movie left me speechless,and my mood switches automatically switched onto 'CONTEMPLATIVE mode'. But on the other side, my thoughtful friend sneakily put his thinking cap ON. Haha. 😄 Though we connect a lot on thoughts otherwise.
Much to my surprise and dread actually, he put on Hector's shoes and started asking me the unusually difficult question. " What do you think happiness is?" Always wanting to avoid this question, and being asked only a few times by even fewer people, I was lost for a moment. In my clueless,thoughtless silence. His insistence grew until at one point I blurted out timidly: 'Happiness is happiness.'
Overwhelmed. My mind started wondering frantically. After experiencing more than 20 years of "I'M BREATHING" moments, I didn't know how to answer a simple question like that.
To hear this 'Are you happy?' question from someone feels like a deep breach of privacy. At times. It feels more intimate than being asked,'Are you in love?'
Admit it or not. We all hate it. Because we think too much.We go insane worrying if our voices would sound exactly the we 'want to sound'. Then, we put on a calculative smile and utter a dazzlingly superficial: " oh yes." Do we hold the courage to look in the eyes of the asking person,and answer a confident "Yes"? Even I couldn't look if I had to.
In the end though, I did answer him. Not my with my mouth. What my voice hesitated to channel, my heart took over and it flowed through my fingers. And whatever I told him were only little, insignificant, or maybe immature observations that I had...but my feelings were helplessly intertwined with those words... those words were 'me'.
Here's how happiness looks like in the eyes of a simple Asian girl, in her early twenties, with absolutely limited experiences in Life :
Happiness is a journey!
It's showing what you truly feel inside whenever you feel it. Without wasting time over what others may think...😊
Happiness is loving everyone without any self-interest from a place of respect. Happiness is being who you truly are..staying happy with whatever you have and trying to make others smile...😊
Happiness is protecting your innocence and remaining innocent no matter how the world may try to ruin you...😊
Happiness is simple...no second thoughts..😊
Happiness is not a greed to be happy..but when you're happy, happiness is to treat it like a gift...😊
Happiness is to have a pure heart and a beautiful mind...no matter how dirty the World maybe.😊
Happiness is seeing beauty in everything and everyone...
Happiness is accepting everyone is different but we all have the capacity to be good..to do a little better than we have done before...
Happiness is peace...😇
Happiness is forgiving...😅
Happiness is dedicating yourself for the work and the people you love..😁
Happiness is hope...💙💚💛💜💗💞
I've read a great book in my Fall'16 semester break, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman , where it says:
The journey is what brings us happiness,not the destination.
And ever since, my expectations towards finding happiness has greatly changed. I realized how obliged we are all to be 'happy', and being happy requires no special reason. Every moment that we spend could turn into a 'happy one' if we only remind ourselves one thing (quoting from the book again):
The place is HERE.The time is NOW.
That's pretty much all for today 😁 I'm ecstatic to be writing my blog after 4 dreadfully long years of writer's blocks. Happiness is a simple formula which creates wonders when you truly believe in it. Trust me!
Let's practice HAPPINESS and spread it around! In this dark times, we all need to share our lights, and what better way to do it than big,warm,happy smiles?
