I am walking across the office corridor right after the weekend, I push my mouth wide open to both of its ends, nod my head and give a friendly smile, what do I get in return? Nothing! Some people do not understand the value of a simple friendly smile, or the effect of it on someone else. I think of it as a sign of respect and appreciation in the work place, a gesture of kindness.
Have you ever tried to spend sometime alone somewhere, thinking about nothing, just letting your absolute self talk to you. I have, and it feels great. Usually, we are occupied mentally by tasks that we are mandated to finish, meetings that we have to attend, people that we have to discuss with, thus leaving no time for ourselves, for discussing important life matters, for defining who we truly are in this life.
As a young kid, I strived for being good at school, for being the best at the swimming club, for getting high honors, and most importantly for being recognized and acknowledged by my peers at school and my family at home. My purpose was to please others and not myself, and as I grew up and started to get a grip at how the world works, I started to feel empty inside, I started to feel that I have not done anything for myself but I have done it all for others.
We tend to have a very narrow perspective when it comes to defining happiness. Some people think that happiness is where “happy” people are. Truth is, it has noting to do with the location, I am not sure how to describe it, there are many factors that when combined can make you happy, I am not sure I ever experienced fully fledged happiness, but I experience inner-peace every once in a while and I believe that inner peace is one of the magic ingredients of happiness.