Cheap Thrills: Ain’t just a song

The Other Side
Aug 24, 2017 · 3 min read

Today was one of those days where I did not give in to my self-pity. Having started my morning on a very bad note I expected it to continue that way till the end of the day. But today I got lucky. Walking past one of the lonely streets near my hostel I discovered a place that brought the biggest smile on my face.

As you can imagine I spent my next two hours playing on the swing to my heart’s content and watching the little kids around play with me.

Those two hours brought a lot of things into perspective. I realized that there are only few things on this planet that can bring you true ‘happiness’. And these things almost never cost you anything. At that moment I understood that it absolutely did not matter if I couldn’t go watch that movie ‘fdfs’ or if I had a list of pending tasks to do or if I felt homesick 90% of the time. Playing on that swing today wiped out all of that stress in one go.

Doing what really makes you happy is so essential in bringing the best out of you. It may seem unimportant to you but sometimes (most times tbh) life can get to you and you really need that dose of energy. I always used to think that a night’s heavy partying can do the needful to de-stress you. But to this day, that has never happened. Alcohol and dance — two things I believed that could turn anyone’s day around, no longer hold true to me.

All along my life I’ve had little things that make me happy more than anything else. ‘Cheap Thrills’ as some might call it. The smallest of things like visiting the temple for a change, listening to that old Keerthana out of the blue or even smiling at the toddler on the street can actually turn my day around. Having a ‘bare minimum’ policy sure has a lot of perks. As in my last post I had spoken about the importance of putting yourself first, I too have started noticing the difference that attitude can bring to a day. Keeping aside the pile of work I had for the day, I chose to spend time at the playground, although I could have used that time to sleep/study instead. But now I feel so much better that I can possibly work for the next four hours without complaining.

Doing those activities that make you happy boost your morale and leave you feeling energized to do more. If you’re thinking giving in to temptations is detrimental, trust me its not. They work the other way around. It’s okay to waste those few crucial hours before the exam on things like sleep/music/TV/gossip as long as they leave you feeling fresh. There’s always time to get back to your hustle for the day.

Also, don’t be so hard on yourself.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade