Food for thought: Finding happiness

I constantly keep asking myself, what makes me happy. Yes, there are some things which immediately come to my mind, but then when I dig deeper it leaves me perplexed. As a result, I ended up asking myself questions such as what is more important, to do things which give you short term happiness or long term happiness, and what would give me both.

I thought in order to answer these queries I should read on what others have to say and that’s how I came across this book – The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

In this book, Gretchen tries to find out the larger meaning of happiness, tries to figure out she can live in the moment. Each month she tackles a resolution which she believes will help her get closer to her overarching goal – How to focus on things which matter,  live in the present and make most every moment. The book is indeed thought-provoking and did motivate me to start my own kind of Happiness project.

But, coming back to the point, there is this one particular chapter in the book which I enjoyed reading the most – Buying happiness.

It’s been highly debated that you can’t buy happiness. I agree. But there are something’s like food which can make you happy, instantly. And you can buy food, right?

The smell of chole batura, the crispness of wantons, the silky taste of a marquise, the soft and moist texture of a red velvet cake, the theekhapan of pani puri, the tangy pickle and the list goes on. This is where I find my happiness.

I am of the strong opinion that food can be a great mood and stress buster. Every time I feel a little off or feel like I am under way too much pressure, I eat. Yes, I know this is also the cause of obesity among many other people, but being blessed with a high metabolism, I make the most of this gift. Happiness to me is a enjoying a meal and not just eating to fill my hungry tummy. And I also believe that the happiness in your life depends on how you eat.  The more time you invest in relishing your meal, the happier you will be. Don’t believe me? Why don’t you sit down and try this yourself.

Contrary to popular belief, being happy takes a lot of effort but eating doesn’t, hence the next time you feel down like life is going all wrong, remember, you just need a cup of hot tea/coffee and some delicious snacks, yes that’s all you need. Genuine happiness comes from eating well and when you eat well and healthy it reflects in everything you do.

After all, happiness is always found where there is food and laughter. J