What is the secret of happiness?

Saturday was my cousin’s first wedding anniversary. We grew up together in Dubai and share a rich history of celebrating numerous Eids and National Days together. Ever since Zaara came into our household, it has been lit.

She is adorable, amusing, and animated. My uncle wanted to throw a surprise party for them and he orchestrated the business of buying a cake and booking a party hall in Dubai, all the way from a nondescript sleepy town in Kerala.

Since my mom is here in the UAE for the past couple of months, it was easy for the brother-sister duo to arrange it all. The whole jingbang had a happy Saturday spent with plenty of mutton biriyani, chilly chicken, cakes, and laughter, all thanks to a mindful gesture of a grand old uncle.

After the party at the hall, we all crashed at our cousin’s place, occupying every inch of their flat, plopping on sofas, and beds, and making ourselves at home. Every time Zaara walked out of the room or into the room, someone would crack a joke and she got freaked out thinking the joke was on her.

We reassured her it was a pure coincidence that whenever our clan congregated in a room after a considerable amount of time, every tiny tête-à-tête triggered a round of laughter riot. ‘There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures and the feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort,’ wrote Charlotte Bronte.

Great acts of passion and excitement

Simple moments contribute more to happiness than great acts of passion and excitement! Happiness is elusive if you pursue it, but if you settle down into moments with family, friends, and food and savour it, happiness may settle on us.

The point is true happiness lies inside you. If you can have fun with others and live in peace and harmony with your environment with a healthy body and soul, that’s happiness.

Everyone wants a slice of happiness, but willing to wait for it indefinitely.

All our life we wait for things to happen to become happy. On weekdays, we wait for the weekend. When the weekend comes, we wait for the next weekend. Then a holiday, then a journey, then a birthday, and a promotion with increment.

When you are in school, you can’t wait to get to college. When you go to university, you look forward to a job. On the first day of work, we can’t wait to get our first salary. Once this happens, each month is a wait for the next paycheck! Often, the weight of wait, descends on us heavily, sometimes crushing us unbearably.

The trick is not to wait for great things to happen, but to enjoy the little moments that life throws at us daily. Do at least 3 things a day that will fill you with sparks of joy!

At least, that’s what my sister Fasi does in Bengaluru every weekend, buy a new dress at Central Mall or sell an item inside the home that has long served its purpose or simply take a stroll with her seven- year-old in the lush green gated community that she lives in.

She recently started working with Google, one of the 50 largest companies with the happiest employees as per ‘Happiest Culture Audit,’ so she must be getting something right. ‘We all have to do something in life, and if our occupation or vocation or profession gives us pleasure, well, that’s happiness,’ said Ruskin Bond.

Well, the secret to happiness is to never expect anything from others. Stay content by yourself. ‘Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too,’ is a famous line. Voila! You have happiness unravelled.

Feby Imthias is a writer based in Abu Dhabi and author of the book, Children of the Sun, Sand and Seas. Twitter: @Feby_Imthias