Hey reader,

Here in India, it’s all about switching into the mode of celebrations as the most fascinating festival is around, Diwali. Festivals, or I say celebration, is all about the joy, laughter, fun, madness and most of all “Happiness“. What could be better than sharing the most precious thing among others, the Happiness.

The surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

At my workplace, it’s been four years celebrating Diwali with a special ritual called “lets-share-happiness”. What being done in here is, whoever can and wishes to, can contribute a minimum sum of Rs. 500, for the Help Staff we have at office.

There are around 30 of them (the Housekeeping staff, the Pantry staff and the Guards) who work across 2 shifts and making our life better at office. They know who wants which tea/coffee and with what taste. Just ask them once, and they bring that right on your seat with the taste you want, without even telling every time. Remembering the taste of over 100 people is not that easy task, with such a choosy community we all live in. The guards, who no matter if Diwali is around or any other festival, wishing you Good Day with same energy throughout and knows each of ours names. And the housekeeping staff, who just keeps the place always fresh, clean and comfortable despite of the mess that we make everyday.

This ritual is just a small step to thank them for their selfless service. The organisation does what their budget allows for each of them, but this is different. Our little contributions brings smile on their face. We started with a total of Rs. 18,000 contribution in the starting year 2016, and this year, we contributed more than Rs. 1,00,000, and it’s getting bigger and better every year. The smile on the faces of Help Staff while getting this small gift from our side, is inexpressible. And this makes me write more about it. The power of sharing happiness.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Gautama Buddha

To share another story, recently I saw one of my friend sharing a picture: A car with boot open, filled with blankets, and the caption – “Not all heroes wear the capes!“. One of her friend, collects these blankets and goes off for a ride across the city to donate these blankets to the needy ones.

Adding one more, where a friend’s friend, looks after the stray dogs and puppies, for the medicines and vaccination, and also appeals people to adopt some of the pups.

These are just a very few stories, we all have these heroes living around us who don’t wear the capes. I am trying to get in touch with them and get their experiences and stories shared with you all. I am hopeful, that it will happen soon. So stay tight, because there’s a lot interesting to come SOON.

I strongly believe that we all have this power of sharing happiness within us, being a human. It’s just about how we use it and with what amount we use it. Few use it with more potential and become these heroes, and few just keeps that within themselves.

An act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness. No reward coming after the event can compare with the sweet reward that went with it.

Maurice Maeterlinck

This power of sharing happiness, is very addictive. Once, if you made someone happy, you will always be wishing to do it again and again, and with many more. Few people think, that their acts are too small, and they might not be having that potential to make it possible.

This is to all those people, you don’t need to be big for making someone happy. It’s just about a little things that matter. Showing someone that you care for them, giving a token of respect to the people who work for you or as little as appreciating and praising people for their work in such a way that a big smile comes onto their faces and makes up their day. This is the little act of kindness, which marks the beginning of enormous power that you going to harness through the act of sharing happiness.

And I give you a chance here, if you like this article any of the Understanding Life Decoded article, you always have the option to like and comment. I would love to see them here, rather than on 1:1 pings.

I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Prosperous Diwali!

-Navneet