Strength TogetHER 29 - My Small Happiness

 My Small Happiness 

Lokopakar in collaboration with NIRI (Nexus Institute for Research and Innovation) has started a project to complete Strength TogetHER sessions at 10 public schools in Nepal. On July 18, 2022 Lokopakar conducted the second session of Strength TogetHER sessions for girls studying in Grade 9 and 10 at Shree Shaheed Shukra Secondary School on the topic “My Small Happiness”.

Our first participant started the story sharing on the topic by saying that she feels the happiest when she shares her feelings and things with her mother. Her mother is also her problem solver and always looks forward to talking to her when she returns home from school. 

Another participant shared that she feels happy when she shares her small daily experience with her best friend.  Other participants also shared the same feeling along with finishing work on time, she said that these two things make her happy. 

“I feel happy when I meet small kids, pets and also while sharing my things with my friends and family”, shared another participant. Other participant shared that she is the happiest while staying wish her parents, 

Almost all other participants said that they feel happy with sharing their experience and day to day life with their friends and family. Other than that, traveling and eating out with family members made them happy as well. 

One participant shared that she feels happy when the relatives who come to their house give her money when leaving. Another participant shared that she feels happy when someone brings chocolates for her. 

“I feel happy when dancing, drawing and painting”, shared another participant. One said that she has a sibling and she fights with him often, despite that she shares a close bond with her and that makes her happy. While another participant shared that she is the happiest when she eats chowmein and another participant  shared that she is happy whenever someone else takes her to have food.

Many other participants shared a similar happy experience of traveling and sharing with family members along with being happy when she goes to the temple to feed the needy people during her birthday. 

In the end, we all discussed the purpose of sharing small happiness and the students shared their point of view. It included stories being shared to know each other, sharing makes people healthy and sharing happiness adds up to big happiness. 

Lastly, we concluded the session stating that we should not wait for big events or experiences to be happy rather we should be happy with small things that will gradually add up to be big happiness. And appreciating small happiness allows one to be more appreciative of other people and experiences.