Finding happiness is important though being joyous is significantly more important

My kids are dearest to me. My son enjoyed his seventh birthday wherein he played a game of dart with his newfound friends in our new house.

Every morning, I connect with trees and the sound of birds chirping.

I make it a point to connect with my morning walking pal as well as evening walking pals.

Sometimes, we play badminton or go to the gym or burst into peels of laughter. Occasionally, I run for 500 to 1,000 meters. I get inspired by those around me who run at least three kilometers to as much as twenty-eight kilometers at a stretch.

I like doing yoga such as Surya Namaskar. It is then when I feel like connecting truly with my body and with the God. I have not been doing it for two months. I will surely do it today as well as tomorrow. Deep breathing is another activity which helps me a lot.

Sometimes, I play lawn tennis on clay court to express myself, my game plan, my stamina and my overall balance and state of mind.

I like to cycle a lot and now I can cycle for long distances and at moderate to high speed.

I like to read a lot such as fiction by David Baldacci, non-fiction and management books such as Deep Work by Carl Newport, as well as editorial page of various newspapers. These days, I am reading the books “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish and “David vs Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell. Reading nice books gives me a lot of perspective and a motivation to excel in writing and communicating with others.

Solving crosswords and sudoku are among my long-time favorite hobbies.

I also like to read sports pages and research papers. I myself have written several poems, short stories and other creative pieces in my personal blog.

Until two months ago, I liked to eat a lot of sweets but now I am practicing self-control and restraint to minimize its intake. I like to climb stairs, and I feel that doing so has made me fitter and leaner and grow younger. I believe in indulging for three to five minutes each day in some intense workout such as brisk walk, running, dancing, yoga, etc.

These days, happiness is measured by the size of your house, the brand of your car, the job and the salary and the designation that you have, etc. However, with this comes a great deal of responsibility which if not done properly can lead you to be bereft of your joy.

I like to walk on the balcony these days and to watch the vast expanse of trees and the sound of birds chirping on those. Sometimes, I would pluck a leaf from a neem tree and chew it for medicinal benefit. This is the way I feel connected with nature.

I like to play a variety of board games such as chess, carrom, pool, etc. I never get tired of playing those games. I have also learnt the basic level of swimming.

 I feel that these sports can teach us various concepts of how to apply various principles of science, as well as to find some joyous moment and to live in those moments once those games are over.

I like to listen to old Bollywood songs, radio, Sufi songs, and music of various genres across all the languages. It soothes my mind.

I like to mingle a lot with people and to make new friends and to widen my network.

I sincerely believe in expressing gratitude to a person who has done good for me. I also believe in apologizing for my actions to someone who may have felt hurt by my actions.

I have got vivid memories of my college batchmate Saurabh planting two trees together in our college garden.