It’s amazing don’t you think, how our happiness is actually just moments of joy – fleeting, simple and generally inexplicable?

We place so much of our hopes on the big things we aim for – money, success, power… a house, a fancy car, jewelry…but happiness surprises us. It catches us unawares.

It comes with somebody’s smile. A warm hug. A sunset – a river! A favorite song. The smell of a book. The feel of a snowflake. The wind ruffling your hair. Slipping into an old pair of jeans which somehow fit again! Someone else’s joy. A message – the thought of a friend close at reach. Laughter. The euphoria of victory. A chance remark. A gesture. Some affection. A moment of connect.

Happiness is simple. As we wait for the events, it catches us in the moments. As we listen for the fanfare, it tiptoes by and leaves a lingering song in our heart. As we try to understand and plan how to be happy, it just happens.

Happiness is simple. Why do we find it so difficult to create for others? Why do we need elaborate plans in personal life? Complex policies in the workplace? As in most things, we tend to need plans, process and policies to make us comfortable, to make us feel that we have made happiness predictable.

Happiness is simple.

If we let it.