Boulders on the Bay

A cluster of boulders sit just off the shores of Burlington Bay, Lake Ontario. They are strong and dark, and they cast reflective shadows on the lake. A single semi-submerged smaller boulder is separated from the group. Day after day, waves thrust at it yet it strongly remains, isolated from the others.

That lone rock does not make the photo look disproportionate, but rather adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the landscape. The rock causes the viewer to regard the larger boulders with more scrutiny, enhancing their appreciation of the photo in its entirety. The boulders look mighty and powerful, as if they have won many battles. The lake surrounds them, encompassing each inch of the solid. The lake’s waters are vast and never-ending. They seem a place to melt into your own happiness or sorrow, and let your fears and worries sink to the very bottom as you float away to a place of serenity.


I took this photo because I was intrigued by the outlier that was separate from the close collection of boulders. It was not a sunny day, but rather a mystical one, graceful and beautiful in its grayness. As a photographer, I had options of positioning the camera a certain way in order to capture either the vastness of the lake, or the rockiness continuity of the land. I chose the water, and it proved well in this photo.

In my opinion, noticing the silence and stillness of the landscape I realized how unappreciated this scene goes. Realized how many people must walk by this lake and not give the boulders a second glance. When admiring a landscape such as this one, one is reminded of the beauties of the world that so often go unnoticed, like a flourished sunflower, a towering tree, or a cluster of boulders just off the shore.

My Happiness Project

I wonder about happiness. The exploration of happiness may not be a worldwide challenge, but may rather be an individual curiosity. What is happiness? We take happiness for granted, associating it with the attainment of something or being somewhere in life. But what is the real, true meaning of happiness? Does it have a meaning? The term “being happy” is so broad that if asked of your happiness, the question seems overwhelming. You can be happy in the moment, or happy all your life. However, the things you do to be happy in the long run are made up of a serious of good, bad, and right actions. Quoting Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, “Happiness is feeling good, feeling bad and feeling right, all in an atmosphere of growth.” I completely agree with that statement. Being happy is growing from your experiences, aiming for a goal, in the midst of good, bad, and right actions. A person’s happiness is not solely measured on their destination, but rather the journey they take. We would not be happy if we arrived at our goal instantaneously, nor would we be content striving with no goal. A melody’s goal is not to arrive at the last note, but the song would still not be the same if that last note wasn’t played.
Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, really got me thinking about happiness. Rubin explores happiness, challenges the text book definition, and looks for ways to revise and heighten her happiness in all sectors of her life. Her book has taught me a number of lessons, but one really stuck with me. Happiness is growth. This lesson has been mentioned before but it is so important for it to be shared. Many people think happiness is arriving at something, being a certain kind of person, or having something. However, that is just another one of the misleading theories that pull us in the wrong direction. Happiness is the process, the journey to these goals. Rubin devises her “happiness project” and works on improving certain parts of herself to in turn make her happier. Inspired by her book, I tried this, and immediately, I felt better. Not because of the thrill I knew I would get after completing my happiness project, but just growing in that way and making myself happier.
After reading 100 pages of Rubin’s book, I decided to put together my own happiness project. I worked out 12 traits that I could work on that could add to my happiness, including energy, friendship, work, fun, and the ethics. I decided to work on energy during the month of April, so I would have the discipline to pursue my harder resolutions in the months to come. For each trait I thought about mini-resolutions that would bring me to my goal. For example, for Energy, I said that I should: Sleep more, eat more fruit, get more fresh air, and get organised. Every day I look back on my resolutions to see which ones I have kept, and which ones I haven’t.
One could ask me, are you happy? This was a question Rubin pondered too in her book, as am I. I am still the regular Imaan, I haven’t changed my life drastically, or put my footprint on the world. Was doing little things every day like getting more fresh air and eating more fruits really making me happier? I’ve heard many times that success is made up of the small things we do everyday, and that statement seems suitable for this situation. Through my own happiness project, I am able to consider myself, improve myself and make good decisions in an atmosphere of growth. So, yes I am happier. I am happy that I am working on my happiness. I am smiling because I am striving to achieve a truer smile.
My happiness project, similar to Rubin’s, does not always make me feel happy. On the days when I am feeling bad, I berate myself for not following my resolutions. When I look back on my resolutions chart, and see the failed attempts to change some of my day-to-day action, my mood darkens. I will quote Rubin again, as she says, “Happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy”. It is the combination of the elements of goodness, disappointment and feeling right that define happiness.
Through my happiness project, I know that I am also making other people happy. So pleased with my own project, I share my experiences with everybody I meet. I aim to inspire and motivate people to take on their own happiness project, so they can feel the intense satisfaction I do when I fulfil a resolution. There is a glow I have attained which shows my growth, and there is a distinct joy I extract from that growth. This blog post has given me happiness, for I am sharing my happiness project to those who are close to my heart. In the months to come, the goals to aim for, and the resolutions to meet, I do not hope for success, I only hope for progress. I hope to enjoy the process of striving to achieve a greater happiness.