The Lost Art of Happiness: Why Simplicity May Be the Answer After All

Life was simpler back then.

A bun and a bottle of Campa Cola were all it took to bring immense joy.

Evening cricket matches at the pada with a Cambis ball were enough to spark a sense of victory and camaraderie.

A new pair of clothes, stitched specially for Pujo, was treasured and reserved for every special occasion.

There was a certain lightness to those days.

Friends lived close by, and we all had time—for each other, and for ourselves.

Thirty years later, everything seems to have changed.

Life no longer feels as joyful—not because our stresses have multiplied,

but because we no longer know how to make ourselves happy.

We are constantly chasing, saving, investing, shopping—trapped in a never-ending loop.

And amidst all this activity, we have become oblivious to our inner state of mind.

We no longer ask: What truly brings me joy?

We have lost our simplicity.

We have grown increasingly complex—overthinking, overanalyzing, overcomparing.

Happiness today isn’t measured through our own lens, but through a comparative evaluation of our peers.

We look around and often find ourselves on the wrong side of someone else’s eventful, rewarding, action-packed life.

And in doing so, we end up feeling more vulnerable, more envious, more frustrated.

The state of mind? Irritated. Unsettled. Lost.

So what could be the way back—not to the past, but to a gentler state of being?

Perhaps the solution lies not in changing the world, but in realigning ourselves. It’s not about doing more, but about noticing more. It’s about creating small pauses in a hurried life, where moments can breathe, and we can hear ourselves again. Joy may not come from grand experiences or material milestones, but from choosing to live with a little more presence, a little more intention, and a lot less noise. The path forward isn’t hidden—it’s just quiet. And sometimes, it takes small, deliberate acts to bring it back to the surface.

1. Do One Thing Badly. On Purpose.

We live in a world obsessed with optimization.

Cook better. Sleep deeper. Run faster.

But what if once a week, you let yourself be bad at something—and just delight in it?

• Sing off-key.

• Paint randomely

• Dance like no one will clap

When you release yourself from performance, you reclaim your authentic joy.

2. Create a Ritual Without Purpose

We have ritualized productivity. But what about a ritual that doesn’t serve capital or career?

• Make tea every morning for no one. Just for the aroma.

• Light a lamp at dusk, even if no one notices.

• Write a letter you never send.

A ritual like this grounds you. It doesn’t need a purpose. It is the purpose.

3. Replace ‘Self-Care’ with ‘Self-Company’

You don’t need to escape to spas or retreats.

What you need is to become better company for yourself.

• Sit in silence with yourself without looking at your phone.

• Ask yourself: What did I long for today that I didn’t express?

• Talk to yourself aloud, not as a flaw—but as an act of intimacy.

4. Choose an Object That Ages With You

Get a diary, a piece of art, a piece of clothing—and let it stay with you for life.

Watch it wear and weather like your own self. It becomes a mirror of memory.

We change too fast these days—happiness often hides in continuity.

5. Rehearse a Day Without a Trace

Every now and then, live a day without proof.

• No photos.

• No updates.

• No digital trail.

When you do something just for you, not even for memory’s sake,

you begin to re-own your life from the eyes of the world.

6. Don’t answer to perform

If one ever asks you:

“Are you happy?”

Don’t rush to answer. Don’t perform. Let it wreck your composure.

Because questions asked candidly often hold the map to your buried emotions.

7. Learn to Say “I Don’t Know” With a Smile

So much anxiety comes from the pressure to be certain.

Start saying:

“I don’t know what’s next.”

“I don’t know if this is right.”

“I don’t know how I feel—but I’ll sit with it.”

That not knowing?

It’s not failure.

It’s where freedom begins.

8. Make a List of Things That Brought You Joy at 10 Years Old

Then do at least one of them this month—no matter how silly it feels now

9. Forgive Someone Silently, for Your Own Peace

You don’t need closure. You need release. Do it for your heart, not theirs.

10. Walk Without a Destination

Choose wonder over efficiency. Let the streets lead you instead of Google Maps.

And Finally: Don’t Find Happiness. Let It Find You Still.

The bun and the bottle didn’t make us happy.

It was how little we needed to declare something joyful.

Maybe happiness isn’t missing from life.

Maybe we’re just not making enough space for it to arrive,

because the room is full of expectations, algorithms, notifications, and noise.

So, the real antidote?

• Disarm comparison.

• Release from perfection.

• Build small, unremarkable joys.

• Let life whisper to you again.

Happiness isn’t hiding.

It’s just waiting for you to stop shouting long enough to hear it knock.