“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” J M Barrie (Peter Pan)
Fairies. Stories. Laughter. Sunshine. Drizzle. A steaming cuppa. Books. Puppies. The wind in the hills. Sandcastles. New shoes. Happiness comes in many myriad forms. And most of us chase happiness, or what it appears to be in material form for most of our lives. We often forget that we are the architects of our own happiness; we often forget to look inside. This issue, we take a break from the routine and take a look at how extraordinary joy can be found even in the seemingly run-of-the-mill. Our cover columnists bring you their perspectives on attaining happiness through dance, music, books. We look at a few happy countries to visit and foods that can lift your gloom. In our Startup section, we feature two youngsters who are bringing happiness to the visually challenged: by taking them on trips via Bat Travels. We have happiness coach Laurence McCahill talking about his mantra for success and happiness. We interview Dr Jagdish Chaturvedi, doctor-innovator-authorstandup comedian about how he managed to turn life’s lemons into the stuff of laughter. And not to forget, a new form of art that creator Subhasini Vinayan calls ‘garden art’. Turn these pages for a joyous reading experience.
Dr Ulhas Ganu Editor-in-Chief editorial@wecanserve.com