Waking up another day and expecting the weather to be rainy and cloudy, but instead I see light cloud, blue sky and the sun peeking through behind the mountain. It feels good.
Stepping out into the freezing temparture, I took that first breath of the fresh cold air. My lung is immediately awakened, then followed with all other cells in my body. It feels good.
Taking a walk in the forrest, I look down at my steps and lost in my thoughts. Suddenly I look up and get reminded what my surronding is, I am stunned by how beautiful the nature is. It feels good.
Taking that first bite of whatever when I am hungry. It feels good.
On a Tuesday afternoon, I am typing away my thoughts on the keyboard simply because I feel like so, with no real agenda. It feels good.
All of above and moments like so are my moments of small but certain happiness (小确幸 in Chinese). A while back I stumbled upon this profound and cliché question - what makes life worth living? I thought about how I would answer that. My answer will unavoidably change over time. For now, these moments are my answer.
The concept was first introduced by Murakami in his 1986 essay 'Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans', where he described it as eating a freshly-baked loaf of bread with one's hands, seeing neatly folded underwear in a drawer, wearing a new shirt that smells like clean cotton, etc.
The keyword is small. It is hard to notice, yet easy to gain. It is brief - I am lucky if noticed, yet have no disappointment when it’s gone. It is nothing to be bragged about, yet it adds up and become something very powerful. It shows up more often along with mindfulness and gratitude. It’s an absolute gift in our mundane life.