We will not even begin to define or try to understand happiness. You can have your word and meaning for it. But we would still more or less agree on the overall positive vibe of it, even when happiness has some kind of hardship involved. Happiness is a grand, glamourous lifetime of a project, subject to scrutiny, analyses, and endless opinions. But in our daily lives, we could be completely unaware or oblivious to its existence. We don’t even know when we have been happy and simply did not notice. We are experiencing it behind our backs. You have been happy, some signs that gave it away.
You slept well
We are setting the bar low here. One might think at this point we are getting desperate for the label of happiness. But a good night’s sleep, that too with consistency, is something you might want to ignore and yet it has a positive impact on your daily life. Even work that you enjoy makes you sacrifice your sleep, which at some point will diminish your drive for it. But lately, you have been sleeping well. You have been dreaming less, or sleep talking, almost none at all.
You knew what to order from the menu
A bowl of bibimbap and bubble tea. You knew that’s what you wanted during flatmates’ dinner. There were no second thoughts, there was no endless listlessness, no panic attacks, and no going with what everybody was ordering. You did not plan it ahead and yet when you ran your mental recon of your cravings and feelings, you knew exactly what would satiate you.
You replied to your emails, mostly, positive and friendly
You have replied to your emails, well, most of them, and without a sign of haste. How many times you have read an email wrong, interpreted it wrong, rushed to respond with tortuous political correctness, and eventually triggered a cascade of ludicrous misunderstandings! Saga of hasty replies that could have been worded differently. But lately, you have written your emails with a voice that is active and committed. You have overridden the auto-completes with personalized comments and thoughts. You have not had to try hard, it just felt easy and natural. Not sweet, your writing has been crisp and poised. Where is this coming from? Language is the reflection of your mind.
You stood in front of the mirror a few seconds longer
No, you haven’t fallen in love recently. It is life as usual. Yet, just like that, you caught your attention. In front of the mirror you have been lost in thought – all this time ensuring if the outfit looked right on you or the skin care regimen is finally working. But not today. You looked at yourself, stepped back, and smiled.
You don’t binge-watch
You have got your content sorted. What could be more gratifying than that? Not getting overwhelmed by choice, frustrated with inability to decide, or bored by your lack of enthusiasm for new things. You have on this rare occasion not only made your choice, you have got your weekend leisure planned. You pace it, don’t scroll over to the episode list, you keep and eat your cake too.
You made eye contact and smiled at random strangers
This last one has its risks but you took it, mostly unawares. You not only acknowledge the presence of others in your physical orbit, you are interacting with them in a language most endearing, and quiet, warm smile. Like a messy eater bee mucking up pollen everywhere, you are pollinating happiness, a bit homespun and fitful, but will do.
Essay/Article by : TDLM Editorial
‘You are happy, you don’t know’ First Published in The Daily Life Magazine on August 5, 2024
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