Some of the best moments in life…don’t pretend to be BIG.
In fact, some of the happiest moments in life look very ordinary.
A calm morning, a familiar voice, a day without urgency or a mind that’s not racing ahead.
We are conditioned to associate happiness with highs…like celebrations, achievements, or some big moments.
But over time, we realise that the most sustaining happiness looks ordinary.
And these ordinary happy moments come from… peaceful routines, conversations without an agenda, work that feels meaningful and not frantic, or some weekend evenings in the comfort of our home.
Nothing to prove nor to portray anything!
From the outside, it may not look very impressive.
But from within, it feels deeply right.
There is a quiet happiness in days that don’t ask much of you.
We live in a fast-paced world, one that is obsessed with metrics, checklists, and milestones. Every day, we are bombarded with stories of success—tales of those who have scaled summits, shattered records, and surpassed their peers. But in the race to be the best, we often forget the importance of the journey itself and the challenges that come with it. Life, after all, is not just about achievements; it is about surviving the odds.
Success is not a linear progression!
Set a goal, work hard, achieve, and repeat!
No!!
Ask anyone who has faced the real life world and they will tell you it is rarely the case. Life throws unexpected challenges…all the time! It is not the achievements but the resilience to continue despite the challenges that define your character.
And by the way, surviving the odds does not mean merely living through tough times; it means emerging stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.
The ‘last mile’ in any journey is often the hardest. When you’re close to your goal, but the energy is running out, and the finish line seems just out of reach, that’s when the survival attitude kicks in!
And you can do that by embracing uncertainty, celebrating small wins, seeking support, and practicing self-compassion (be kind to yourself!).
Behind every success, there is a story of struggle! The best example that comes to mind is J.K. Rowling! After numerous rejections, Harry Potter happened!
It’s time to redefine success. Don’t measure it by the trophies on your shelf but measure it by the number of times you have picked up yourself and moved on!
Remember, it’s your survival attitude that will take you through the last mile!
“When you go home today, ask your father and let me know tomorrow.”
This was the conversation I had with my Hindi teacher, Mr. Cyril Sunny when I was in seventh standard at St. Paul’s, Udaipur.
I asked my father the meaning of my name when he returned home in the evening after work. He told me the meaning in short and enquired why am I asking this question. I told him about what happened in the school that day. He smiled and then said ‘Wait, let me explain you in a better way then.’
He reached out to the bookshelf and pulled out a huge thick hard-cover book with brown coloured pages. He told me it was a ‘Sanskrit-to-English’ dictionary. And then, reading from it, he explained the meaning in detail. He told me the word is ‘Nirvana’ which in Noun means ‘enlightenment’. And in the adjective, it means ‘not glowing’. So, Anirvan means in noun ‘one who doesn’t need enlightenment, say someone like ‘Gautam Buddha’. And in the adjective, Anirvan would mean ‘Glowing’.
I went to school the next day and Sunny sir asked me the meaning again during the Hindi period. I explained to him what my father taught me. He smiled and wrote the word ‘Nirvana’ on the blackboard. He then addressed the whole class for the next fifteen minutes explaining the meaning on similar lines as what my father explained to me.
To this day, I remember this incident!
I was fortunate to have teachers like Sunny sir who had such passion for their subject and students alike.
On this teacher’s day, I bow to all my teachers and convey my gratitude for not only teaching us what was required as per the textbooks but for also teaching us about life and how to lead it meaningfully.
Once upon a time, in a bustling office, there was a weekly meeting that everyone dreaded. It was notorious for its long duration and seemingly endless discussions.
One day, the office manager decided to spice things up. He entered the meeting room with a huge jar filled with colourful marbles. He announced, “Today, we’re going to make this meeting more interactive. For every unnecessary tangent or off-topic discussion, I’m going to drop a marble into this jar.”
As the meeting progressed, the marbles started piling up surprisingly quickly. It did not take long for the jar to become a colourful tower of marbles, resembling a modern art sculpture.
With each “ping” of a marble hitting the jar, people could not help but suppress laughter. It became a challenge to keep the marbles from overflowing. Even the most verbose contributors started self-regulating their comments, trying to avoid being the cause of another “marble moment.”
By the end of the meeting, the jar of marbles had become the meeting’s unofficial mascot. It served as a quirky reminder that time was precious and that staying on topic was a collective effort.
From then on, the meetings were known as the “Marble Meetings,” and they became more efficient and engaging. People realized that humour could be a powerful tool to remind them to stay focused and make the most of their time together.
And so, amid marbles and laughter, the team learned that a little fun could go a long way in making even the most dreaded meetings a bit more enjoyable.
We get so busy in the rat race that it becomes a ‘habitual living’ rather than a ‘meaningful living’!
Pause and reflect!
You can definitely make your life more beautiful when you focus on the following:
Purpose: Having a sense of purpose in life can provide direction and motivation. It can be anything from pursuing a career that aligns with your passions, making a difference in your community, or raising a family.
Relationships: Building and nurturing relationships with others can bring joy, love, and support. It’s important to cultivate meaningful connections with family, friends, colleagues, and others in your community.
Personal Growth: Learning and growing as an individual can help you develop new skills, gain knowledge, and expand your perspectives. It can be achieved through reading, attending courses, trying new things, or traveling.
Health and Wellness: Taking care of your physical and mental health can improve your overall well-being, giving you the energy and vitality to pursue your goals and enjoy life.
Contribution: Contributing to the greater good and making a positive impact in the world can give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. This can be achieved by volunteering, donating to charity, or supporting causes you care about.
Is it success, fame, or wealth? Or is to achieve spiritual enlightenment? Or is to leave a positive impact on the world?
Ok, you have achieved success, fame, and wealth.
You have also reached the stage of spiritual enlightenment.
And yes, you have done something that leaves a positive impact on the world.
But at the end of the day, if you remain unhappy then do all these achievements make any sense? In fact, at the core of all these aspirations is a single, fundamental desire: Happiness!
Happiness is a universal goal that every human being seeks. It is the driving force behind all our actions, the reason why we wake up every day and pursue our dreams.
Do you know happiness is so crucial to our well-being that it has been recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations?
But then what is happiness, exactly?
Many people mistake happiness for pleasure or momentary joy! They believe that happiness is something that can be bought or achieved through external means, such as wealth, power, or material possessions. However, these sources of happiness are often fleeting and temporary, and they can soon lead to feelings of emptiness or dissatisfaction.
True happiness, on the other hand, is a state of being that comes from within. It is a sense of contentment and fulfillment that is not dependent on external circumstances. It is a deep and lasting sense of well-being that is not easily swayed by the ups and downs of life.
So, how can we achieve this kind of happiness?
The answer lies in developing a positive mindset and cultivating inner peace. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are, to embrace our strengths and weaknesses, and to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives.
Another important factor in achieving happiness is finding a sense of purpose or meaning in our lives. This can come from pursuing a career that we are passionate about, volunteering for a cause that we believe in, or simply engaging in activities that bring us joy and fulfillment.
