I haven’t been happy, and almost didn’t write a post this week. The world seems full of conflict, a dark place–it doesn’t help that health situation in my extended family isn’t great. The news is all screamy, astonished, devastated headlines, and peace seems hard to come by.
I’m trying to focus on my writing, on walks in nature, and as I’ve said before, I look for hope in small places. In the present moment. During a walk in nature. A chat with a friend. Switching off social media.
I also look for hope in heartwarming stories. In bits and pieces of unexpected human kindness. I’ve received rather a lot of that in these past weeks. Friends have checked on me. Friends have helped me with medical advice. Strangers have given me directions. People who help around the household have brought me gifts and insights. Beauty is all around–you only need the eyes to see it. And there’s also gratitude–thankfulness for the grace of life and health and abundance.
The sunsets are dazzling where I am, and I try and watch them everyday. A bittersweet emotion sweeps through me as the golden dusk skies blaze in their last bit of glory, peacocks mi-aaow to each other in the surrounding hillsides, and the breeze makes me draw my shawl closer. There’s a sweet reassurance in the regularity of sunsets, and their foretelling of sunrises. The cycles will remain no matter what devastation visits me, my family or this planet. It makes me happy in a quiet sort of way, bringing me a kind of deep and subtle joy.
I try and note one good thing that happens each day, and that’s kept me going. Today it was an unexpected gift–someone sent me a bag of peas straight from the farm, and I’ve been shelling the pods and crunching on the green sweetness in each pea, smiling the while.
Has someone been kind to your lately? Has an unexpected gift or good fortune made you smile? What are you happy about today? Do you have stories that make you feel warm?
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Hi Damyanti – I do things are easing up for you … the ups and downs of life are always there, and always happening … yet we go on! Being positive helps – and I’m fortunate there … I am so glad Spring has turned up and we have the long days… plants are blooming, and I hope life will continue on. Take care … and enjoy life’s little pleasures … cheers Hilary
Hey Damyanti,
Visiting your blog after a long time, and feeling so nice reading this post. It gave me something to write about for this week’s post on my blog.
What made me happy? I finished re-reading Anne Frank yesterday. I read it years ago but wanted to read it again. I was struck by the insight of this young girl who knew so much about life at an age when she should actually have been frolicking with not a care in the world. Reading it brought with it bitter sweet moments when I cried, laughed, and had my heart broken by her story and the life she had to live in the secret annex. I really wish she had survived. But, she did teach us so much about happiness and the simple things we could find it in, like nature.
Hugs to you, D. Sending happy and peaceful vibes your way.
Much love.
“There’s a sweet reassurance in the regularity of sunsets, and their foretelling of sunrises. The cycles will remain no matter what devastation visits me, my family or this planet. It makes me happy in a quiet sort of way, bringing me a kind of deep and subtle joy.”
Thanks for the reminder that peace and beauty exist in spite of chaos 🙏❤️. And consistency… something that we can at least count on in these precarious times…
Thank you for stopping by! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post.
The tiny moments of glimmer never fail to lift our spirits, do they? It’s often these little sparks that bring the most unexpected joy.
Absolutely. And they shine all the brighter when everything else seems dark and gloomy.
Sorry to hear … hope things get better. The trick is to focus on small things for happiness. I’m happy I have no errands to run. Everything else …
Here’s to having no errands! It’s always a joy when my to-do list is finally empty. Ticking things off never fails to cheer me up. I suppose any sort of progress feels like a win. Thank you for the kindness!
The ability to be in the Here and Now, while cherishing what’s happening, is a rare gift one can have. We are always bombarded with news, advertisements, and fear inducing agendas that take away our peace. I’m glad you found your way out.
Thank you. The progress is slow and the struggle is constant, but I’m digging my way out with the help of a wonderful support system.
Your sunsets are amazing, Damyanti! Enjoy your time out in nature. It is what keeps me happy in the summertime – biking, gardening, hiking in nature. At this time of year especially, in spring, I love the smell of new grass and softening dirt. Even though I’m in a country that’s in a horrible mess, I can always find happiness in watching the leaves pop out on the trees, hear the geese and sandhill cranes, and start tending to returning flowers in the garden. I hope you are feeling better today and find happiness in the goodness of the world.
Thank you! I’m taking it day-by-day, simply focusing on appreciating every sunrise and the peace that the early mornings bring me. I love your methods of making the most of nature — biking looks like an incredible experience! If only I had more courage (and less back pain). But gardening and hiking I can do. Bird-watching can be such a treat, too! Wishing you all the best with your nature adventures, and here’s to new growth and gorgeous plants.
Spectacular illustrating photo there Damyanti. Reminds me of some of the glorious scenes in Northern India which I refer to often to recall happy memories of my travels there. Life offers us an ever-changing rush of experiences and we experience the deep valleys as well as those beautiful mountain top experiences. When the valleys appear as your horizon you can counteract that by journaling all the blessings received in our life, and you just outlined some of those from people who have comforted you in different ways. Journaling all those blessings even when you are on the mountain top experience is also helpful as you can refer to these as you begin each day to put you in a positive mind. That way when you are in the dark valley read those past experiences and be assured your present situation will take you from there to the mountains again.
Beautifully said, Ian. You paint such a vivid picture, and the last sentence will stick with me for a long time. I need to get back to journalling more regularly. It’s so easy to neglect these little things which seem unimportant and time-consuming, but end up being a vital part of self-care. Writing usually helps me process my emotions and get the frustrations down on paper — I just need to start writing for myself more often, instead of always sitting down at my desk intending for my work to be seen. Thank you so much for sharing.
Take comfort in the small things. And know you have friends around the world.
As for me, I have discovered calmness for the first time. Following up on the newest autism research which explains how ‘it’s different for girls’ I have discovered I’m well along on the spectrum. I tick all the boxes! So, that worry about doing something wrong when I was seven instead of being little miss perfect? That’s autism. I can chuck that one away… and so on, and so forth, all the things that drag me down because I’m really such a terrible person… cleared. It’s just autism. I needn’t worry about it any more.
Peace in my head.
For now!
I’m so glad that you’ve found peace, Jemima! It feels wonderful to finally quiet that little voice in the back of our minds that seems fixed on bringing us down. Taking comfort in the small things is one of my ways of calming down, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the support and kindness from friends and family.
Enjoy the little things because at the end of the day, it’s these moments of connection that are the only thing that matters, Damyanti. And yes, I have been very depressed about the world at large and the U.S.’s part in making it pretty much suck, but such ignorance cannot last and maybe we come out the other side of this with a greater understanding of what is important and less emphasis on the almighty dollar. At least that’s my hope.
A beautiful way of looking at things, Pam. You’re absolutely right, it’s so important to have hope, no matter how dark and depressing the world may seem in the moment. There’s always something to look forward to, whether a meeting with friends, the birds singing on the balcony, the sunsets and sunrises, or exchanges like this. Thank you for stopping by.
I find writing poetry helps keeps me going during these difficult times.
Writing is a staple in my routine. Even if just for a few minutes, I try to scribble something down because I know it’ll help keep me consistent with my writing practice.
Exactly!
My sis grows peas. The difference from fresh and store-bought is stunning. I love visiting her.
That’s lovely, Jacqui! You’re so right, fresh produce is in a league of its own.
Beautiful photo. Take heart in the beautiful world around you and absorb the sunset and the dawn.
Thank you, Marie!
The natural world brings joy as does music and exchanging a smile with a stranger. Eating fresh peas also sounds joyous. Let’s keep finding joy in the moments.
Absolutely. Being out in nature always helps to clear my mind, even if just for a moment. There’s a different kind of peace that comes from sitting under a tree and watching the birds.
The world is depressing. It’s hard to keep your spirits up
It definitely takes a lot of effort. It feels miserable when I’m struggling through it, but it does seem worth it at the end.
Cherish those small moments. They are hugely important.
I couldn’t agree more.
You’re not alone in your feelings, Damyanti. I follow stories about the root causes and came across a book that offered insights and solutions: Scrolling Ourselves to Death Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age. Grab a sample from Amazon. For those wondering, AI plays a huge part in why this is getting worse. The good news is you can get out of the addictive cycle, but it’s a choice and work.
That’s a great title, and the book sounds so relevant and informative. Thanks for the recommendation, Grant. Not surprised that AI is another contributor to the problem.
If I were to write a summary about the actual harm, I’d have to tile the post: “AI Steals, Kills, and Destroys.” It’s serious, and not getting better. For instance, authors who depend on traffic from searches, according to a recent Forbes article, Google summaries reduced click-through rates upwards to 60%. For independent authors and small site operators, that’s the sound of silence.
Through a weird chain of referrals, I was led to a small PR firm which, among other things, employs disabled people working from home, as I do, in some of their positions. I live in California. The chain went from NYC to New Jersey (where we used to live), back to California (!).
The fascinating part: I happened to notice the physical address on the site – only to find that the founder lives within a mile ON MY SAME STREET.
She came to lunch at our retirement community on a BIKE, we had a great talk, and I’ll be able to dump most of my marketing in her lap. What are the ODDS? Astronomically small. ON MY STREET.
That’s incredible! No such thing as coincidences, only fate! It’s so lovely that you got to meet up and have the opportunity to work together. The world really does seem so small at times, and the most wonderful things happen when we’re least expecting them. Thrilled for you!
Cultivating an online space that isn’t just full of news has always been important to me. That being said, it’s not always successful. So I definitely agree with you, trying to find the happy in the every day is important
And challenging, but worth the struggle. Whenever I manage to find something to admire, some little snippet of life that suddenly seems so wonderful in its simplicity, I feel the sadness recede.
With all that is going on in the world today I sometimes struggle with getting distracted from joy. I find my joy in my own backyard. The birds, the squirrels, the rabbits, the growing things. I am finding joy there.
The birds on my balcony and the vines creeping up the walls are such welcome sights. And, of course, sunrise and sunset.
I have been loving the sunsets lately. They have been so vibrant.
Every now and then something reminds me about the value of friendship and that I am lucky enough to have people in my life who seem to want me in their lives and who care about my wellbeing, and who I can safely confide in about these kinds of things, as you describe. Trust you will get through this dip, Damyanti, keep on looking to the sunsets and the sunrises!
Thank you, Amanda, for the lovely reminder of all there is to look forward to! I’m so, so grateful to be blessed with wonderful friends and family — I don’t know what I would do without their support.
I live on a farm, and baby goats are being born daily. I guarantee, thirty baby goats will bring a smile to your face.
My friend has a goat farm, and every visit brings me so much joy! Being bombarded with baby goats is an incomparable experience.
Sorry to hear Damyanti. Yes, the world is depressing but health issues for family is a challenge. Your stories cry out about injustice and that gives me hope that there are so many of us who want a better world.
That’s a beautiful way of looking at it, and I so appreciate your kindness. When I started my first book, I had so much anger against injustice, and I didn’t know what to do with it. I’m still angry, but writing gives me hope that I can actually do something good with the emotions.
I think your writing really reflects that injustice and you get the message out to others in a way that involves rather than bombards like the news. I wonder if that means there is a kind of catharsis / release that means the anger dies not overwhelm…