Skip to main content

3 Posts on the Awesome Power of Staying HAPPY!

Here’s a fantastic round-up of the three HAPPY blog posts I read. You could try looking at it too. Go ahead, give it a shot!

Don’t POSTPONE joy

There’s something about being happy that makes all of us happy. I mean, come on, do you honestly enjoy seeing anyone suffer? We want the world to be a happy place, don’t we? We all want to lead happy lives. Do read: 5 Exceptional Posts that will motivate you today 

                                                           [Image Credit: Unsplash]

This post from Helen McKay, who says, “Don't postpone joy” makes sense. Her wise words also say, “I believe happiness is about appreciating small things and simple experiences: the kind of things that leave lasting, enjoyable memories. Our lives are full of joyful experiences, yet many folk don’t value them, as they should. So often, people put off the things that will make them happy, until they have achieved a set goal; but then – having reached that goal – there is always another reason why they cannot enjoy a state of bliss. Procrastination is a bad habit. Whatever you want to do in life, do it now – don’t procrastinate and put off starting. Between your dream and the fulfilment of it, life lies waiting.” Read the full blogpost here.  

It's not easy to let go of one's marriage and revert to living single again. Here's a from-the-heart perspective from a writer about how tough it is to be living alone. Lorna writes, "I still care, I still want him to be happy. But the truth is, I haven't even bought a mop yet. What does a mop have to do with moving on? Let me explain."  She says, "It's time to break it down to small, manageable chunks, be gentle with myself and begin with the last stage of moving on."

Fed up with crabby relationships? It’s no big deal! I  really enjoyed reading Anisa Virji’s blog post on how to release yourself from crabby relationships. She sums it up well, “Releasing yourself from such crabby relationships can have a wonderful effect on your well-being and the quality of your life.” I can SO connect to that!

In life, the sweet moments truly count! When you look back at your life, it’s those moments that flash back. So, here’s a thoroughly tempting post to sweeten this festive season – delicious desserts from across the world which aren't typically served in our homes!  

                                                  [Image Credit: Unsplash]

And if you're reading this post, clearly you're thinking about your happiness quotient in life. So, what makes you happy? Draw up a list. Go for it!

Labels:

Comments

Ajith said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
November 4, 2014 at 8:16 AM
Ajith said…
nice post. I would suggest a nice read from the article wrt to the book Hardwiring Happines where the author argues that the problem is we're wired to scout for the bad stuff -- as he puts it, the brain is like velcro for negative experience and teflon for positive ones. This "negativity bias" causes the brain to react very intensely to bad news, compared to how it responds to good news.The way to "hardwire happiness" into the brain, then, is to take in the good -- being present to life's tiny, joyful moments.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/how-tiny-joyful-moments-c_n_4108363.html
November 4, 2014 at 8:19 AM
Vishnu said…
Hi Swapna, Than you for sharing these posts including Lorna's and Anisa's blogs. So great to read two refreshing writers who had a common theme in those two relationship posts. One spoke about cleaning up things to let new things in - to make space in your life for the new. And Anisa talks about letting go of crabby people so we can bring more positivity to our lives. She reminds us we have a choice and can be more conscious about who we keep in it. Love this line: I'm tired of hearing that. I want to derail the car. I want to shake the shack. I want to cause mayhem and her post. Thank you for these regular roundup posts - so much delicious writing out there.
November 9, 2014 at 10:39 AM
Swapna Raghu Sanand said…
Hi Ajith, Thanks for the book recco and sharing the Huffington post url. I liked what you mentioned about "the way to hard wire happiness into the brain is to take in the good..being present to life's tiny, joyful moments...." Such an important, gentle reminder to live our life mindfully. Thank you for that.
December 27, 2014 at 10:58 PM
Swapna Raghu Sanand said…
Hi Vishnu, Happy to read your positive feedback and what you liked reading in these regular roundup posts. I too feel that there's so much delicious writing out there and so much to discover, explore and contemplate.
December 27, 2014 at 11:01 PM
Post a Comment

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...
181 comments
Read more

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are also considered auspicious for lighting at home. When lighting diyas on Fridays, it is better to use ghee than oil, if possible. [ Connect with Svara on Facebook ] [Read: Vidyarambham - The Labyrinth Within] When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In Hindu homes, the diya is lit early morning at around sunrise and towards evening sunset. Can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room.  [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and  Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ]                                                     [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] Why Did My Lamp Suddenly Turn Off? Where there is faith, there should be no scope for fear - this is Bhagawan Krishna's message to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.  That represents strength of Bhakti. [READ: Bhakti: Meera's Greatest Wealth] Consider another example in the tradition of Bhakti.  When Prahlada, a young lad, is targeted by his own father, he remains calm under every situation. When he is thrown into the sea, the wise lad is reminded that the sea is the abode of Shriman Narayana. [ READ: Amazing Stories of Lord Shiva ] H...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saree Woes 2

Our earlier discussion on Saree Woes really perked up my spirits. A big thanks to all of you for pepping me up. Okay, here's the good news. There was an unexpected late night party that I had to attend in Gurgaon. To be honest, I haven't had the time or energy to attend any such parties after Adi was born. I was sure I wouldn't have the confidence to make conversation with the glitterati, let alone feel confident to carry off wearing a saree. This is one of those parties where you have to be dressed very formally. Well, at the end of a working woman's day, you hardly feel ready to attend one of these parties looking like a moron, right? So, with very little preparation and very few hours left, I called on all the gods in Heaven to help me look a little younger and prettier since I don't have the magic to look young all on my own. Although I was tempted to wear one of my awesome Kancheevaram treasures, I knew it would be very difficult to drape it without any h...
33 comments
Read more

Do you have a List? I don't!

The wise people in my life have always advised me to be organized and making lists is the best way to get started. However, I don’t make lists and when I do, I lose them somewhere and end up spending more time and effort searching for it and finally, it leads me to tears. Before marriage, I never understood the value of time. My father always told me how important it is to make use of time and his formula was  'Time is God' but I didn't understand it. Of course, watching MTV and reading books and wandering out with friends is how I spent most of my time. Now, I realize that if I had been more time-conscious, there is so much that I would love to do with my time. I have a lot of shortcomings as a person but I am very proud about the fact that I work very hard at everything that I do and I utilize my every hour of every day and extract the best out of it. A normal day is when I just get very busy, going from task to task of what seems important, listening to my inner ...
25 comments
Read more