Make Yourself Happy!

In the winter of life, many things occupy my mind.  My friend said we have to make ourselves happy and not to depend on others to make us happy, not even our partners.

There is truth in what she said. So, how does one make oneself happy?  It would depend on the person, I guess. Sometimes it takes very little to make one happy.

When I see my young grandson smiling, when I hear the sound of his voice, I feel very happy. This is quite different from making myself happy.

So, how can I make myself happy? How do you make yourself happy?

What is happiness? I shall venture to say that it is a state of mind. When you feel contented and light-hearted, when you find yourself smiling at the world, I guess this comes close to what I would consider a state of happiness.

I find that creating something makes me happy, growing something also makes me happy. I used to create dolls, a skill I picked up from a Japanese friend. When I see a finished doll, complete with eyes, nose and a pink mouth, long hair and dressed either in a long dress or a short dress, I feel very happy.

The sense of achievement is what makes me happy.  The doll was non-existent, just scraps of cloth, fibrefill, wool, felt and a sewing machine. The doll was fashioned from these materials, given a face and viola! She exists! Happiness then, was seeing a number of dolls, each with a different expression and dressed in pretty clothes, lovingly sewn.

Now I don’t create dolls anymore. All my dolls have been given away to children. I wonder how they are faring. Loved or thrown about carelessly? It does not bear speculating.

Now I write short stories and poems. These creations make me happy when completed but the bringing forth of these, is an enjoyable and happy process. It’s easy to lose oneself in it and forget the world around you.

For everyone, happiness is different. What makes me happy does not necessarily make another person happy. What makes her happy may not make me happy!

During this season of winter, it becomes more important to make one’s happiness. The loss of friends, partners, etc, has become very real and close. The winter may be long or short, who knows? So as my friend says, we must make our own happiness. No wallowing in negatives.

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