Find your gems of joy

Precious gems. (Photo:Standard)

By Anne Mukei

Following my column last week on Happiness can be found here and now, I got several responses from readers; some of whom concurred with me and some who disagreed for one reason or another.

During my nirvana moments, which, if I am to be honest, can be far and wide between, I always feel that happiness has finally landed, and that nothing and I mean nothing, can ever come between it and me. And then, just like a wet handkerchief dries within minutes, the bliss miraculously disappears, and I find myself in that familiar labyrinth that entails looking for joy.

Sometimes, life can seem like one big struggle — a struggle to find those special ingredients that keeps the dish of happiness tasty.

Here is a random list of what you can do to keep your happy gauge up there.

• Smile, smile, smile. Smile even when you don’t feel like it. Smile even when your heart is breaking. Smile even when tears are rolling down you face. When you smile, your heart will connect to the happy look, and you will find that soon, the smile on your face will be genuine.

• Appreciate nature. The sun and the warmth it brings; the moon and the light you tend to take for granted just because you have streetlights. The wind and the coolness it brings on a hot and dry day. The rain, even though it can become a nuisance, especially when the roads are chocked with traffic and the power cables are down.

And what can one say of the green — and sometimes dry — grass? The trees that bring us rain and provide shade on that hot day? In troubled moments, standing alone and gazing at the wonders of nature can calm the soul, and rejuvenate jaded spirits. 

• Your annoying family. It’s true, they nag, and they get on your nerves more often than they should. But they are the ones who will always have your back, who will say bad things about you and not mean it, who will call you names even as they ensure your comfort. Many a person envies you; they would wish to have such ties.

• Your looks or lack of good looks. There are those who would wish to see how they look but have no eyes. There are those who feel incomplete because they have no limbs or are incapacitated in one way or another. So, enjoy your imperfections; that body is the only one you have got.

• Eat life with a big spoon. Enjoy even the most ordinary of things and events. Time goes by so fast, and you never know about tomorrow. The last thing you want to do is regret that you were not as happy as you would have wanted.