One. Thanking others. It reminds you that there are people who are kind and caring, and creates positive feelings as people like to be appreciated for what they do. It also helps you remember to not take people’s kindness for granted and think about how you can return the favours too.
Two. Finding pieces of yourself in music, novels, poetry, and other people. When we look at or experience art, it reflects back to us and helps us understand different parts of us that we didn’t consciously pick up on before. Sometimes the things we couldn’t comprehend before start making sense once we see them clearly put into words or images.
Three. Giving gifts. Increases happiness among people and makes you happy too to know that you contributed to that happiness. Giving makes your heart feel lighter and full of warmth at the same time.
Four. Encouraging someone. Using your words to encourage someone and then seeing them flourish is gratifying. Offering good words to someone often doesn’t take too much effort either, but it can lift someone up a lot. Words of encouragement make quite an impact.
Five. Enjoying sunsets and sunrises in silence. There is something beautiful about enjoying some things in silence, taking it all in, and keeping it in your heart only.
Six. Greeting others with a smile. Sincere smiles are disarming. They can convey warmth and elevate the general mood, make another person smile even if they feel hesitant, and prevent potential conflicts.
Seven. Deciding to get up after dejection. There is beauty in getting up after seeing all the odds against you. It’s the same kind of beauty that you see in a flower growing out of concrete, and in prey fighting till its very last breath against its predator. Reminds you of what the human heart is capable of: breaking, then stubbornly beating all over again.
Faiza 