Gratitude List for 2025

In the rush of everyday life, it's easy to get caught up in what's next on our never-ending list. But, tucked among that noise, there are some beautiful moments that we might miss. As we are in the last month of the year 2025, let's slow down, breathe, and discover the power of focusing on the things that truly lift us up.

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My Gratitude List for 2025:

Family:

Touchwood.. 2025 has been a great year. I had many beautiful moments with my family. Our Glacier trip in the Summer, all training together to hike 11 miles, hitting multiple challenging trails in Austin, both kids enrolled in swim teams, meeting my sister's family, meeting cousins, celebrating birthdays, planning for a trip this December.. the list goes on.. 

There is more to be grateful for in 2025. 

Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-ceramic-vase-2062433/

Work:

I could accomplish more on the work front, though not technically, but could gain more functional knowledge. I focused on test automation over the last few months. I could automate the basic flow of a complex feature, which was satisfying. 

I could learn more about AI tools and got the opportunity to use them in 2025 - ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Junie, Gemini, Base44 etc.,

Our generation is at an important juncture, starting from an analog world, watching the world transform to digital, and now moving towards AI. I am thankful for all the opportunities I got to learn new things in 2025.

 

Dance:

This is interesting now. I, improving myself as a teacher of a dance school and being a student studying hard for a Master's in Kuchipudi. 

I feel so happy to have completed 3 courses in my Master's this year with good percentages. There is a great learning curve for me with respect to understanding literature, choreography, and rhythm. 

We had a successful Annual Recital. Now, I get the hang of things in Austin. Searching for a venue, arranging photographers, ordering medals and certificates for students, blah blah.. Someday, I might be able to do a dance ballet like our Guru used to do! Wish me luck in becoming a better teacher. 

Hobbies:

I could participate and finish the Blogchatter Half Marathon in October. 10 posts in 15 days. I finished all my travel backlog, wrote about the most beautiful hikes. It's always a pleasure to see the list of travelogues grow big on your blog, isn't it?

Here is the list of all my travelogues if you haven't seen them yet. Here is the list of Texas travelogues. 

Book reading has taken a backseat this year. Only 9 books read so far. 

I focused on my health, learned about stretches, strength training, able to practice dance and even perform twice this year. Cannot be happier than that. 

Photo by Řaj Vaishnaw: https://www.pexels.com/photo/thank-you-heart-text-791024/

So, that's about my gratitude list. What are you thankful for? Please do let me know in the comments.

By the way, it is always my gratitude list posts that get the most hits on my blog during the holiday season. These lists mean a lot to me and also to you, my readers, as I understand. Thank you. 

I wish you to end this year with gratitude and ring in the new year with hope and happiness. 

Until next time,

5 hacks for Instant Happiness

Now a days, people are searching for happiness. Many are clue less where to find it. But, I believe , Happiness is found within us. 

Being grateful for what we have, enjoying each moment and being present can make us happy. 

What about instant happiness? What to do for Instant Happiness? Are there any things / tasks / ways to get happiness? 

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Here are a few tips which bring me instant happiness:

1. Coffee

I need not drink coffee, just the smell of freshly brewing coffee make me feel better anytime. It can bring my mind away from boring and sad thoughts. It can lift up my mood and give me instant happiness.

Image by Elias Shariff Falla Mardini from Pixabay

2. Flowers

I love shopping for flowers. I enjoy picking up different flowers to put in my vase, like mixing up different colors of flowers, love the process of arranging them on rangolis etc., 

Flowers bring me instant happiness. That might be the reason we gift flower bouquets for important celebrations. 

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite from Pexels

3. Scent

A good scent always gives me instant happiness. I love those scented candles, but I read somewhere that the smoke caused by these candles is as harmful as cigarettes. 

Then, I switched to diffusers and essential oils. But, picking a pure essential oil is important as we get many fake ones in stores. I love lavender , peppermint and jasmine scent. 

Image by Racheal Parkinson from Pixabay

4. Nature walks

Nature is my best friend. A good walk / hike along the forests or mountains or beach or a lake is so refreshing. It immediately changes my mood. 

Image by Anja from Pixabay

I love watching the colors of the leaves, colorful birds, interesting cloud formations, colors of the sky during Sunrise, Sunset, the Sun rays reflecting on water and leaves giving the nature a gorgeous glow, rainbows, the smell of rain, the sound of heavy rain, the snow .... The list is too big. 

Don't you think, the shortcut to happiness is around us in the form of nature?

5. Doing something nice to others

Giving is happiness. Try it once, you will know. When we help someone and if it benefits them, it gives us happiness and satisfaction for sure.

Image by HK Kim from Pixabay

Coincidentally, today is Giving Tuesday. Many companies match the donations given on this day, so that the benefitting organizations get double the donation that we give. Try to donate for your favorite cause or make someone smile today.

What tasks give you instant happiness? Please do share in comments.

Linking this post to Fiction Monday hosted by Vinitha Dileep.

Until next time,

Being Happy and feeling happy #QuotedStories

Many people are confused about what makes them happy. Some are bored with their routine lives of work, kids, planning for next day and so on. Some misunderstand that happiness is associated with luxury, power, and money. But, after getting all these also, happiness is not guaranteed. A few find happiness by helping others and making someone smile. A few find happiness in their family's happiness. Some find happiness in their hobbies and some in their passion for work.

Where do you find happiness? Did you think through what makes you happy? 

I think about it sometimes and I found following make me happy:

1. Being positive
Even though we have problems, if we can feel positivity and hope that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and move forward, it makes us happy. Of course, this is the hardest part when we have a lot of problems and are facing many failures and are completely off the track. But, we have to try. I try to keep my positive spirit in those tough situations. Facing challenges and coming out successfully gives happiness.

2. Being grateful 
Being grateful helps me to be happy. Appreciating every little thing in my life and counting my blessings make me happy.

Ex: I am happy -

• when my toddler completes his lunch without me running behind him for hours to feed.
• If I need not cook for that day :-)
• If I get some house help from my family
• If I get time to read a good book
• If I could meet or talk to an old friend etc.,

3. Making others smile

Sometimes, even a small gesture and a kind word can bring a smile on others' face. Helping other moms to engage their kids makes me happy as I know how frustrated moms will be the whole day managing the kids without anyone's help. Striking a casual conversation after a long time with a friend will bring a smile to the friend. Indulging kids in chocolate/ ice cream once in a while and doing some naughty things along with them is more fun.

4. Activities that bring happiness
I love drawing, making crafts, meeting friends, dancing, traveling and writing. There are some activities which relax us and bring out our creativeness. What do you love to do? Explore a lot of activities, try and decide which activity you enjoy. Start practicing that activity at least once a month to start with.

5. Letting go of bad
I am not very good at forgiving people but I keep my space from negative people. I don't try to take revenge or hurt them but I want to go away from them. Forgetting past problems and remembering only the lessons the bad incidents gave us is really a boon. I am still trying to learn it. Someday, I might succeed. If we can forget negative incidents, learn from failures and forgive someone who has done bad to us, we are really in the ideal case.

In conclusion, I choose happiness and I feel, I am alone responsible for my happiness. I want to be so happy that people surrounding me feel happy too. As we know that a smile is contagious, can we make happiness also contagious?

Until next time,

Linking this to #QuotedStories hosted by Upasna.