Every day is a blur, every day is another churn of the machine, every day is another fleeting memory, everyday is another sad story. I recently befriended a girl and almost instantly envied her because she seemed to derive happiness from the smallest and most trivial things that most of us so nonchalantly wave away. She spoke with great enthusiasm about her upcoming trip – how she would would be able see the skyline from a short haul flight, that she would enjoy the meal they would serve in the flight, how her aunt would be so happy to get a handbag she bought her, and the joy she would get from seeing her. I think back to my last trip, and I can not even recollect what the flight was like, what I saw out of the window, and what gifts I took with me; all that time I was thinking about what great adventure I would embark at the destination.

Why do so many of us always need a brand new quest or a never-seen-before sight to feel a measure of happiness and a sense of accomplishment? I know why I can’t fully enjoy the little things of everyday life – because it irks me that today’s small deeds will be forgotten tomorrow, and if they are not worth remembering, then what pleasure is there in relishing them in the first place. Maybe that is why we look forward to those big parties, those road trips, the blockbuster movies, the fancy restaurants and the grand vacations. Of course all of those are well deserved escapes from everyday boredom, but what about everything else we in the rest of our waking hours. Do those things not matter? Do everyday things make no difference? Maybe if we all recollected at the end of each day what we enjoyed or derived an iota of happiness from, it could potentially alter how we perceive the next day to be. Each night, are we looking forward to the next day and things we might do and the smiles we might create, or are we dreading another twenty four hours of monotony.

So I ask myself, did I enjoy something I did today or do is there anything that gave me a little happiness, and the answer to my surprise is a resounding yes. I was overjoyed to complete a relatively small task that has been on my list for three days, I made my boss laugh at a joke, I spent a very entertaining hour with a colleage at the gym talking about random things, I busted a move at least three times while listening to delhi 6 soundtrack at work, I absolutely enjoyed snacking all day on the goodies that I bought for the rest of my team, I made jokes with at least three of my colleagues, and I am thoroughly enjoying a glass of sangria right now after a long day while chatting with a good friend. Suddenly tomorrow doesn’t sound bad, maybe there will be similar opportunities, maybe there will be more jokes to be made, maybe there will excitement from completing another task, maybe I will eat that tasty burrito from that shabby mexican place around the corner, maybe I will will play some some music without mistakes, maybe I will cook something for a change.

Yes, the things we do are not always grandiose and the things we talk about are not always fun, but maybe if we tried a little harder there might a hint of zest hidden between the layers of daily rut, and maybe there will be a day when we can all look forward to the next day without having to recollect the last to reinforce our optmism. Maybe.

For the rest of you, no, the answer to a little happiness everyday is not called marijuana.