When asked to define happiness, one could think of a lot of things. Good health, prosperity, satisfactory personal and professional relationships, fulfillment of basic expectations and needs and so on. However, I define happiness a bit differently. Ofcourse the above mentioned things are absolutely necessary to be happy, but I find happiness in smaller, more simpler things. One is, for example, good food. As already mentioned in one of my last posts, I am a food fanatic and proudly so. Food, and necessarily good food, gives me immense happiness and satisfaction beyond words. The mere thought of indulging in yummy cheeses (for the information, I now know the names of all famous cheeses in the world :D), mouth-watering desserts, chocolate fudges, brownies and cookies gives me goosebumps (well, almost). Another would be traveling- getting to see new places, knowing new cultures, new living habits, feeling lost in a web of unknown languages and accents but still enjoying every bit of it, and meeting interesting people. One more thing that has recently found its way into my happiness-index is taking pictures. I never thought I would be so much interested in photography, but strangely I now see myself enjoying taking pictures and dreaming of buying a DSLR someday :) Later when I go through these pictures (the same also applies to old albums, old G-talk chats, emails and letters) and try to remember the exact moments, I get a feeling that there isn't anything more blissful than this!
However, an important constituent of my happiness-index has still not been mentioned so far, which was practically the reason why I started writing this post in the first place. In the last few days, there hasn't been anyone who has not told me that I look happy. Added to that, I also feel a strange energy in my voice which was distinctively absent in the last few months. I don't remember when was the last time I looked, or felt, relaxed and less irritated. This is actually a far cry from what I feel and look on most days- tired, or sleepy, or over-worked. I have tried to think of reasons; maybe the lower workload now that I have postponed my yearly presentation, maybe I feel rejuvenated and motivated after traveling for two weeks, the fact that my parents are going to be here soon, that the weather is so warm and nice. While all these have definitely played a role in making me look less grumpy; there is one more reason, a very important one indeed, which I have realized has never failed to lift up my mood in a jiffy. Conversations. Nice, heart-warming and colorful conversations :)
How much strange it may sound, conversations do make me happy. Conversations about nothing in particular, or conversations about things in particular; either way they give me unparalleled satisfaction. Being a self-proclaimed garrulous person who talks incessantly, I am capable of continuing a conversation for hours. However, I fail at initiating good conversations, which thankfully, has never been an issue given the large number of natural-conversation-starters around me. When asked what I found most attractive in a man, I would say that my man should be good looking in an intellectual way, with eyes full of life (the ever-most important criterion I judge a person by), and a good talker. True to that, I have always found myself attracted to people who are good at striking up interesting conversations; over coffees, wines and beers, in the balcony of guest houses on the hills, during afternoon walks along empty roads, in crowded metros, in parks on rainy days, late into the night while resting the head on the shoulders, staring at the ceiling on a stormy night, in the sheer darkness with distant traffic sounds, or through virtual devices. Talking about childhood, growing up, past incidents, habits and interests, experiences, perspectives, family and life in general, excite me beyond words. It is like getting a part of the person; what they feel and think, felt and thought, how they perceive a situation, what they have experienced in life; and being able to keep that part forever with yourself, never fearing to give it up. Ever.
In the last couple of years that I have lived alone and spent a lot of time thinking, I have realized that there are just a handful of people who have been able to give me happiness this way. Maybe this is also the reason I find myself happier in the company of these few people, while I talk to hundred others daily. Maybe this is also the reason for me being and looking happy in the past weeks (definitely conditioned upon less workload), with a big grin on my face 24*7 and singing often in the office corridors during office hours! Peaceful conversations :)
However, an important constituent of my happiness-index has still not been mentioned so far, which was practically the reason why I started writing this post in the first place. In the last few days, there hasn't been anyone who has not told me that I look happy. Added to that, I also feel a strange energy in my voice which was distinctively absent in the last few months. I don't remember when was the last time I looked, or felt, relaxed and less irritated. This is actually a far cry from what I feel and look on most days- tired, or sleepy, or over-worked. I have tried to think of reasons; maybe the lower workload now that I have postponed my yearly presentation, maybe I feel rejuvenated and motivated after traveling for two weeks, the fact that my parents are going to be here soon, that the weather is so warm and nice. While all these have definitely played a role in making me look less grumpy; there is one more reason, a very important one indeed, which I have realized has never failed to lift up my mood in a jiffy. Conversations. Nice, heart-warming and colorful conversations :)
How much strange it may sound, conversations do make me happy. Conversations about nothing in particular, or conversations about things in particular; either way they give me unparalleled satisfaction. Being a self-proclaimed garrulous person who talks incessantly, I am capable of continuing a conversation for hours. However, I fail at initiating good conversations, which thankfully, has never been an issue given the large number of natural-conversation-starters around me. When asked what I found most attractive in a man, I would say that my man should be good looking in an intellectual way, with eyes full of life (the ever-most important criterion I judge a person by), and a good talker. True to that, I have always found myself attracted to people who are good at striking up interesting conversations; over coffees, wines and beers, in the balcony of guest houses on the hills, during afternoon walks along empty roads, in crowded metros, in parks on rainy days, late into the night while resting the head on the shoulders, staring at the ceiling on a stormy night, in the sheer darkness with distant traffic sounds, or through virtual devices. Talking about childhood, growing up, past incidents, habits and interests, experiences, perspectives, family and life in general, excite me beyond words. It is like getting a part of the person; what they feel and think, felt and thought, how they perceive a situation, what they have experienced in life; and being able to keep that part forever with yourself, never fearing to give it up. Ever.
In the last couple of years that I have lived alone and spent a lot of time thinking, I have realized that there are just a handful of people who have been able to give me happiness this way. Maybe this is also the reason I find myself happier in the company of these few people, while I talk to hundred others daily. Maybe this is also the reason for me being and looking happy in the past weeks (definitely conditioned upon less workload), with a big grin on my face 24*7 and singing often in the office corridors during office hours! Peaceful conversations :)
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