Tea, letter writing and the definition of Happiness.

They say that when a woman changes her hair, she is going to change her life. Never have I heard words more relevant for my life at its current stage. Today has been a, much needed, day of reflection. It all went a bit like this:
            This morning I woke with a slightly sunken heart, it was one of those mornings that held nothing of promise and the thought of crawling back into bed to watch old films all day seemed far too appealing. But as usual I found myself rushing to get ready and walking through the doors of sixth form at 8.30 in a half daze. Little did I know, at this point, what my day had in store for me. After spending a full 30 minutes wandering aimlessly around the school and establishing that none of my lessons were to take place, I decided upon walking home.
            Now this blog post doesn't seem to be getting anywhere fast, bare with me I'm getting there. Today instead of reaching for my usual coffee, in the mug which is, frankly, far too big. I decided to try a 'Pukka Love' tea and it was while drinking this tea that I had a sudden realisation. Today, I would make myself happy.

 

             What is the use in waiting around for someone else to cheer you up, when you know exactly how to do it yourself? With this initiative I quickly packed up my favourite bag with my purse, three books, a letter writing set, one of my old cameras and a chocolate spread and crunchy peanut butter sandwich. (If you haven't tried that combination yet, I strongly urge you to. Now.) With no real idea of where I was heading I left the house to find that the street was bathed in sunlight. It was one of those glorious feelings that make you feel like the world is on your side.

 

 

            I ended up taking a long stroll to a little shopping street about two miles from my house and then on to a park nearby. All this time alone gave me a lot of room for thought and therefore when I sat down in the park to eat my sandwich, I found myself reaching for my trusty little letter set and writing a letter to my best friend. Writing letters is such a wonderful way to capture your thoughts and feelings. Too many beautiful things nowadays are lost in the speedy world of social networking. To have a piece of paper to hold and to know that someone has spent time and effort on getting it to you, is such a wonderful feeling.

            So today I thought about happiness. I thought about what made me happy and I went out and did it. I thought about the things that made my best friend happy, and I wrote about them. If I could offer you one piece of advice I would tell you to do whatever makes your soul happy. Some people find happiness in the company of others, some in music or art, some, like me, find it in thoughts and quotes. There is no strict definition of happiness, but to feel it as often as possible is imperative. Do not wait for someone else to make you happy, you will never know how long that may take. You have the power to make yourself happy.

           Who thought all of that would come from one cup of tea?