Name one thing – other than your family and friends – that makes you happy.

For me, it’s Nag Champa.

Silly as that may sound, it’s true.

It’s an amazing incense that calms my nerves and helps me focus.  Its potent, sweet smell helps me relax and meditate.

Why meditate?  Without it, I think I would be an emotional wreck.  Learning to meditate has helped me to get rid of the noise and constant chatter in my brain.  You know, that voice that keeps talking long after you’ve gone to sleep?  It’s that worry which stops you from enjoying life fully.

We live in such a fast-paced society that it’s not often where we have a moment of peace to reconnect with ourselves.  Working online also has made me flexible and a pro at multi-tasking, but it has left me feeling exhausted mentally.

During the day, we are constantly subjected to sensory input and our minds are always active in the process of thinking and feeling.  We are inundated with words, images, people, things, problems, emotions – all in a constant, quick flow – zooming through your mind’s eye.

At night when you hope to get some rest, often our brains are still working overtime, processing and absorbing all the information the brain has retained throughout the day.  You know when you feel like you haven’t slept well but you slept eight hours?

With meditation, you are able settle down from all the activity and find yourself more peaceful and focused. In essence, meditation makes you aware of yourself as a living and breathing human being.

Stopping the noise and chatter from your mind allows you to remember to be aware of your body’s signals.   When you can reach that place in meditation where you are calm and quiet, you will feel a sense of peace and understanding of yourself.

And suddenly and miraculously, all of the answers you were seeking are there in front of you.  Relying on your inner self to act as a guide is the most powerful feeling you can experience.

Your intuition kicks in and you realize you already have the answers you seek.

The ability to experience peace of mind and find that mental clarity has truly helped me to savour the simple things life has to offer.

The smell of coffee at the crack of dawn.  The sound of children playing at the park.  A warm breeze fanning my cheek.  My boys’ contagious laughter.

Being able to enjoy the little moments throughout the day, with every passing moment, is the key to happiness.

Being able to live in each and every moment – at that very moment – is the ultimate bliss.

Once you’ve reached the ability to live in this manner, you have achieved complete contentment.

With all of the day-to-day challenges I face, the one thing that I have control over is how I respond to everything around me.

And if I am calm and peaceful, so will be my perception of the world around me.

That is bliss.

…until the kids start screaming 🙂

What little things make you happy?  Name something that makes you happy in one word.