Happiness

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’ ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson A happier life for me started on January 2nd, 2023. A change of country, scenery, and environment brought with it new vistas and opportunities. It was something that I had dreamt and hoped to do for many years – wintering in a beautiful, warm place. I had always dreamed of living by the sea and hearing the waves lapping the shore day and night. While I was dreaming, I thought that if there were also mountains, that would be a bonus. Since I saw the Sound of Music and Heidi when I was a little girl, mountains have always beckoned to me. My new locale has the sea, boats, and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Talk about luck! ...

I’m pleased to share this article I wrote and that was in Simply Woman which is an online magazine for women. psychological richness? By simply…woman! on January 18, 2021 By Jean Janki Samaroo The saying that you’re never too old to learn is so true. I had never heard the term “psychological richness” used in relation to the good life until just recently. The concept of a happy life, a meaningful life, a fulfilled life, were all familiar to me as well as the terms themselves. After all, even at 71 those are still the things that I’m seeking daily in order to make my life count. ...

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” (Socrates) For most of my life, I’ve had an insatiable craving for more and more and more of everything. I craved for more chocolate, more ice-cream, more shoes, more clothing - you name it and I wanted it. That was when I was a young girl and my needs and wants were at that level. These things made me feel good and, naturally, I wanted more of them. I equated the taste and feeling of having certain things with happiness. That was my meagre understanding of the word. Of course, this was a false belief. But, it took a lot more time, maturity, and experience to realize that nothing outside of myself would bring me happiness - at least not for long. “Happiness is never found in materialistic things; it exists in things that cannot be physically possessed. Therefore, happiness is priceless. It can never be purchased.” (Ellen J. Barrier) ...