Happiness is...



“Happiness is a mood, not a destination” This is my favorite quote from my all-time favorite TV series in the world “One tree hill”. For those who have never watched it, I strongly recommend that you do.  I must have watched all 10 seasons with every single episodes for more than 10 times or more. I don't know why but I could never get enough of it maybe because it is so close to life or maybe because the actors are so freaking HOT! Either way, how remarkable it is to watch something that really speaks and connects with your heart? So my favorite quote from my favorite TV show inspired me to write this next blog. It is something that we all try to get and that we all want so badly but not really sure about how we can achieve it. What really is happiness and why do we want it? The truth is I would be the next holy godmother who is friends with both Jesus and Dalai Lama If I knew the right answer  to it but let me try. Just like the above mentioned quote, happiness to me is a mood. Whether it is temporary or permanent, if it did tickle your heart a little then that is considered happiness to me. We don’t have to feel it all the time and every day to consider ourselves happy but those moments truly matter the most and it is time to stop taking them for granted.


With that being said, I would like to share the 10 simplest and the smallest forms of happiness that make me feel a live. Hopefully, it inspires you to focus on the small happy details in your own life as well.

One Tree Hill scene

1. Looking at the picture of my loved ones

Being away from the ones I love in order to pursue my goals in life was not a duty but a CHOICE and it comes with a different sacrifice and risks.  Sometimes, you need to find yourself a new family and hang out with other people to fulfill your social needs but most of the time, you are just lonely AF because you are on your own. But remembering the fact that there are certain people who will ALWAYS want and wish the best for you, who will always be on YOUR SIDE ONLY, who will ALWAYS SUPPORT and understand you, who will NEVER JUDGE or be JEALOUS of anything that you do is a huge relief in life. I may not be next to them to get that feeling but looking at their pictures make me feel like “Yeah, I am never lonely by heart just by distance”.

2. The first sip of a delicious coffee in the morning

Those who can relate to me know why this is a simple but a huge pleasure in life. Coffee became a MUST necessity to my existence ever since I can remember. Even when I was a small kid, I loved drinking coffee and my parents always tried to stop me and get me out of it but my addiction got me going. There are certain types of coffee that I like more than the usual ones. I love making coffee and prepare it for myself with care and effort. I love drinking it while feeling the endorphins with all my heart. Take a sip and go agh....that’s life man. It is like all of your problems pause for a little while and that's a great feeling!

3.  Ice cream after craving it for so long

Oh girls! Don’t you hate period cramps? For the guys I apologize for the things you are about to read or not heehee. I guess it is different for all girls but I sure as hell become a sugar monster whenever I am on my period. Due to work and busy days there are times I cannot have what I want even when I am craving for sweets like crazy. But after finishing all your work, that liberating moment when you get to have all the things you wanted to eat, that is a magical feeling. One full spoon of vanilla and oreo ice-cream coming up! That is all I need to hear to overcome the misery of being born as a woman. Sorry not sorry :D

4. Happy strangers

I saw a guy in a wheelchair with the biggest smile on his face the other day. Yep that’s it. What else needs to be said? I just hope we could all have the same strength in us someday.

5. Pouring out my heart on paper

I don’t need to be understood or heard by others all the time. Even if I wanted that, it is just not possible. The only person who will truly understand all the right feelings and thoughts that you keep inside your head is YOU yourself. So writing down the things that bug me or that make me anxious takes away a little pain in the heart and instantly puts me back in a good mood. You should try it too!

6. A long and a gentle hug

It doesn’t only have to be from a significant other. Gentle hugs are so relaxing and removes all the negative stressful anxieties you have in that moment. A long hug from my friends and family makes me feel closer to them and makes me feel loved and appreciated. I love that feeling! Want a little hug? Go get it and give it to the people who need it.

7. Watching the right movie at the right time

Movies are an escape from reality. I usually don’t like to try out new things because I am so afraid of forgetting the old ones. It doesn’t only relate to movies but all aspect of my life like friends, hobbies, songs and food. What if I like the new ones better and stop appreciating the ones that touched my heart first? But sometimes you have to try and keep both because I watched this new movie called "Someone great" the other day and it totally related with everything I was going through at the moment. Watching such movies that relate with our problems make us pause on all our overthinking struggles for a while, which is a temporary happiness but so WORTH it.

8. Learning new things that I never knew before

My dad always used to say “Be afraid of not knowing”. I guess I carry that around with me all the time because it is the best piece of advice that always makes me want to focus on my self-improvement. I like talking to people and learning new things about their life and about the world. It can be anything like what their pets eat, why they decided to nourish a garden, how they could keep up the gym routine they do and so on. I am curious about all aspects of life in a very liberating way because it is one type of knowledge and at the end of the day I get to go home with a new information than I had yesterday. That is a worthy moment! 


9. Complimenting others

I try my best to focus on the goodness of others and if I don’t have anything nice to say I prefer to stay quiet because nobody has the right to make you feel bad about yourself unless you are perfectly flawless in every possible way. But there is no such thing or person so NO! Nobody can insult or criticize you for being yourself. If I feel a certain positivity towards that person, I genuinely like to express my opinion about them with all the nice things I could say. Because I want them to know that its true and it matters and that they should remember my compliment whenever they are lacking that confidence or support they need. The smile on their faces after hearing my words puts a smile on my face so it is truly a win win situation.

10. Words

Thank you so much! I am so sorry! Good luck with your work! Have fun! You will do great! I love that outfit! You are so good at…! I was wrong, I apologize! I like talking to you! If you need to talk to somebody I am always here!

Do you have any idea how much those words mean to some people? Don’t hold it back. Give it and say it to the people who need it. It is worth more than a million bucks for some people. Don’t be greedy about the things you can give or get for free. 

Look around and focus on the small details that go through your mind and in your life. Pick up all the positive pieces of feelings that you can find and keep that in your heart. Try to remember them whenever you are having a bad day! Don't take anything for granted. One of the things I fear most in life is realizing the value of something only after not having them anymore. That would be unfortunate! So I try to appreciate everything I have at the moment. Let's do the same. Hope you get to find and appreciate your own form of happiness too.

Love, Amy