Our past has tremendous value. It holds hidden clues as to what will make us truly happy. We just have to do some sleuthing to find those clues.
Unfortunately, everyday life buries our “happiness clues.” As life rolls along, we become consumed by our jobs and housework. The needs and personal problems of others take up our free time. Pretty soon, our lives have been hijacked with obligations, and we can’t remember what it was that made us happy to begin with!
If that is how you feel, don’t worry. I’ve been there too. Fortunately, getting back to a satisfying life is doable. The key is to use your past to figure out what will make you happy today.
Below are some ways to mine the past for clues so that you can create a great life!
What Are the Special Foods That You Enjoyed as A Child?
The foods of our childhood can have special meaning for us. For example, I am half-Indian, and growing up, I frequently ate Indian food. As a result, the smell of curries and chapatis take me back to my childhood. And today, as an adult, those foods bring me inexplicable happiness.
We all have food that are comforting to us. Typically, they are the foods that were served to us as children. They remind us of when we were small, when we lived with our parents or grandparents, and when we were loved and cared for.
One way to create beautiful moments in your life is to cook the foods of yesteryear. For example, whenever I feel the need for comfort food, I make a curry. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to figure out how to make chapatis (a delicious Indian flatbread).
Lucky for me, recently my Irish husband came to my “Chapati Rescue.” When I told him how much I missed eating chapatis, he made multiple batches until he was able to figure out the secret to making good chapatis. Now, thanks to him, I can enjoy that wonderful taste of the past once again.
Think back to your past. What is your chapati? What food’s smell takes you back in time to a place of happiness? Treat yourself to those foods. Give yourself the delight of going back to a sweet period in your life.
What Was Your Favorite Subject in School?
For each of us, there were certain subjects that we studied in school which interested or inspired us. But sadly, most of us leave those interests behind after we graduate from either high school or college. As we get caught up in our adult work and family responsibilities, we fail to keep pursuing those special interests.
Those beloved school subjects are a great clue as to how to make your life more interesting today. For example, during high school and college, I enjoyed three subjects immensely: religion, history and French. But once I joined the workforce, those passions fell by the wayside.
Fortunately, during the past couple of years, I have reignited my studies. These days, in my spare time, I read books about history and religion. And I’ve continued my study of French and added on to it a study of Spanish. Reading about those subjects enriches my life. In fact, today, I am living my most authentic life because I spend my free time is spent focusing on subjects that truly interest me.
So, turn off the television. Recall those subjects you loved in school, get some books, and start studying again! The way you spend your time should reflect your interests. Make sure to spend your time reading and thinking about those subjects that inspire and interest you the most!
What Were You Doing During Your Favorite Moments of the Past?
When we look back to the past, each of us has favorite moments. Times when the world just felt right. When everything was relaxed and good. Those moments are a clue as to which activities you truly enjoy.
For instance, I love walking. I grew up next to a university surrounded by woods. Some of my fondest memories involve simply walking through those woods to see my mother at the university library where she worked.
When I became older and had a child, I loved taking walks with my infant daughter and our dog. I would have her strapped to me in the baby carrier, and the dog would be on the leash. The three of us would walk endlessly through the streets of Brooklyn. It was magic to spend an afternoon with the two of them, strolling by the brownstones on a fall day.
These days, my daughter has grown up, and now I walk on my own with the dog. We live in a wooded area with walking paths, and he and I walk to a nearby lake every day. It is a special part of my day when I take some time to clear my head.
Walking has been the “go to” activity in my life. I go for walks when I am happy. I go for walks when I am under stress and need to think. Simply being outdoors and taking a stroll not only gives me great pleasure, but it bestows peace of mind.
What were you doing during your favorite moments in life? Perhaps you were at the beach with your family. Or maybe you were baking a pie with your grandmother. Those moments are clues as to which activities will bring you the most joy in life.
Our past is a gold mine for clues as to how to create a great life for ourselves. Consider your own past. What were the best parts of it, and why? If you do this kind of personal reflection, you’ll find running themes of things, activities or places that made you the most happy. There is no reason to relegate those moments to the past! Keep recreating them in your present and see your happiness increase!!
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