Many articles I have read in recent times have suggested that happiness is usually found in experiences rather than products. They suggested that the initial thrill on buying an expensive new thing such as a fancy, new car, a new phone or a new home usually fades away quite quickly. The joy of experiencing something like a holiday at a new place, doing something adventurous like rafting or zip-lining gives you happiness that is felt for a long, long time and gives you memories that can last a lifetime.
I find this to be very true. When I buy a new iPhone, within a few weeks or at best a few months, the initial excitement is dead and gone. And I actually feel bad when the new iPhone is announced because it is usually so expensive that I cannot afford to buy one so soon after I've just spent quite a bomb on another one!
On the other hand, I can never forget the trips I've had. I relive the joy whenever I think about them, talk about them with people I've been with. Take the 2012 Alaskan cruise for example. Just the other day, when Dinesh wished me on my birthday, we reminisced about the fantastic time we had. This, after four years had already passed! I often revisit the videos of the Niagara Falls and even much simpler places, closer to home like the natural water slide at Chepa Rai! I still feel the thrill of these places.
I firmly believe the best things in life are the simplest. I savour every sip of my morning Darjeeling black tea, love my Sunday morning Idli jaunt and relish my morning swim. When you think about these things, you realise that you don't need too much money to experience true happiness. We often get into this endless cycle of trying to make money because we believe that in money lies the secret to happiness. It is true that we need money to take care of the basics. But beyond a point, money cannot make us happy. It is how we look at life and how we try to find those moments of true happiness and genuine joy that eventually dictate how happy we actually are.
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