Real Happiness unfolds in the Exceptionally ordinary things!

I can vouch this!!!

Before I start, I want to give you a brief idea about today's story. So I am a person who doesn't spend much on luxury items or any exotic things. Well, Neither I am saying whoever does this is having a bad habit of splurging nor I am idealizing myself in any ways. It is individual's choice of what they want to do with their money and financial privileges. My natural inclination is towards pretty simple and ordinary things. I am mindful of my expenses but sometimes I impulsively buy things that I don't even need. I am learning to understand a thin line between what I want v/s what I need though. Trust me, this helps a lot to keep a cap on unnecessary expenses that don't give you anything else except regrets over spent bucks. Now comes the interesting part of the backstory when you must have assumed that I have excellent self-control towards my spending habits. Folks stop comparing yourself to me as in a few seconds you would know that I am in the same boat. :)

I have this uncontrollable obsession over purses, bags, handbags, wallets, clutches; basically about every category that falls under tag purses that you can think of. This obsession of mine didn't develop over time within me but it was just default system of my brain. It got triggered and worst even more after having my own debit card. We can't spend much when we are surviving on the pocket money. I don't spend much money on any other social activities or entertainment things except gifts giving. I love giving gifts unconditionally but then I stopped spending my money on those who think hundred times before giving me anything and most of the time remain unavailable to me when I need their emotional or mental support. I choose not to invest on such useless folks, honestly speaking. But those who are there for me anytime, I am just fully and wholly out there for them equally. Well, I don't mean that I give gifts so I expect some gifts or some monetary benefits in return. I don't seek either a gift or financial support from anybody as I come from a very well to do family where I have privilege of having enough fund for myself despite of having irregular income due to the nature of my work. Moreover, I keep giving gifts to myself on periodical basis as a part of self-love ritual.

I have a limited and fluctuating source of earning. Hence, I do take care of my emergency fund to survive the rainy days on my own without relying much on others. I am truly grateful for this to the divinity!

Okay, I deviated a bit in between but let's come back to our main point. Purses category used to be my weak point due to which I used to waste a large chunk of money on such items that I had hardly used a couple of times before. Thereafter, I used to trash, donate or pass it on to somebody else for further usage. When I got annoyed by this habit of mine, I decided to get to the roots of it. My detective investigation mode just switched on!

We all have personal liking and clinginess to something and we don't feel enough even when we have it more. That is a never-ending loop of dissatisfaction and regrets. Before buying we think, if we have this one item, we will be on top of the world when it comes to happiness. But in reality we see the contrasting scenario. Once we get that item, after a few uses we feel bored of it and then our eyes search for a newbies. This delusion and illusion of mind is the root cause of this obsession. We have this inflated dummy scene in our mind of how happy we will be once we own a particular thing, so we make purchases on this sudden rush of impulses. Once we have that item for a while, the excitement of the initial phase just fades away gradually. But by that time it's too late to realize our monetary loss. Instead of feeling happy, we feel miserable and out of control...

Real Happiness unfolds in the Exceptionally ordinary things!

When I look back in my past, I realized, I was a happy soul till the time I was investing myself in creating beautiful memories with my loved once. My whole intention was to derive happiness from small, understated ordinary things. When I miss my ancestors, I miss the moments I spent with them rather than missing what they had gifted me that was pricey. For me their company was precious. The memories I am creating today, I will be cherishing that in future rather than thinking which branded costly stuff I bought for myself or I got from someone as a gift. I do respect others sweet gesture of gifting me something and here price doesn't even matter, but what stands most valuable to me is the quality time they decide to spend with me. Moments will turn into memories for future to savor. I am quite sure and confident that these are the moments which will bring a sense of happiness and contentment in my life than anything else.

This realization has been a turning point for me! If you can't be happy with what you have now, then I can guarantee you that you can't be happy with whatever you are going to have in future when somethings comes in your budget bracket when it comes to its affordability. You can't really afford the moments you miss with near ones and the haunting guilt that will hover in your mind forever. I can vouch this!!!

So don't waste your time in temporary and shallow happiness, satisfaction and gratification. Instead, explore some deep things that bless you with the perpetual happiness, satisfaction and contentment. I know it surely stems from simple, understated ordinary things. That's my promise!

No, I am not against the worldly pleasures. Definition of happiness is subjective for everyone. Some may feel happy when they achieve their desired materialistic goals and nothing is right or wrong in that. Some may find happiness by seeing a calm flowing river and some may feel a sense of happiness at any exotic locations. We can't generalize the term happiness. My only intention is to tell you that nurture attachment to the things that are deep and permanent. Detach yourself from the shallow and temporary things so that the weed of happiness will sprout within you and not somewhere outside. The source of happiness will get a place in your heart; you need not search for it in something else or somewhere outside.

My aim behind writing this story is to boost you to think about what truly matters to you. The main sources of joy might be awaiting for your attention to unleash the sheer feeling of enjoying life to the fullest. If you are too trapped in the vicious circle of investing in the wrong things (wrong people too!) then this story would be a guiding light to step out of it at the earliest. It's never enough even when we have enough, so, train your mind to "less is more". It is just a mindset shift that matters!

“That which we need the most will be found where we least want to look.” ~ Carl Jung

Edit :- I can't tell you the feeling of relief I got when I shifted my focal point of happiness from mediocre things to some profound things. I am grateful that I could hone my spending habits without burning a hole on my pocket. Now, I can save more and invest that money at the right places. I am free of regrets and I own a luxury of brewing happiness and satisfaction in life from the right sources!