Happiness

Be Happy Quote

If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap. If you want happiness for a day – go fishing. If you want happiness for a year – go fishing. If you want happiness for a lifetime – help someone else – Chinese Proverb

Jaishree Nenwani is a blogger focusing on happiness. I catch up with her and talk about life and her mantra, be happy.

Jaishree, thanks for this interview. Please tell me a little about you.

I’m just another girl next door.  A font of beaches and forests.  A couple of years ago, I faced some health issues, that confined me to my home. That was the time when I started my journey as a homepreneur. My first home business was a recruitment agency (I have a background in HR). This venture did well. But I wanted to do something more. More than just “work”.

What is GetSetHappy all about? Who is your audience? Why should we read it? What is the main message?

Well. GetSetHappy (GSH) is all about being Happy! Being who you really are and doing what matters most. When I started GetSetHappy, I was only focusing on sharing knowledge about self-improvement. My posts were only focused on achieving happiness. But over a period of time (in the course of my writing journey), I realized that happiness is not talking about happiness, it’s more of actually being happy. For me, happiness is a real state of being. So, eventually, I started writing about everything that makes me happy, right from traveling to lifestyle, food, fashion, beauty, health, and wellness. And one more section that I added to GSH is “Becoming a Homepreneur”. I added this because I wanted to share with my audience what I am good at i.e. home business. In the last couple of years, I worked on various projects, and different business ideas and finally, I landed up on blogging. My blogging journey is all about what I have learned (on both life and professional fronts) all my life.

Initially, my audience was people who were interested in reading about self-improvement. But now, most of my readers are interested in becoming homepreneurs. 

How did you come about with the idea of starting a blog?

I just started with the idea of sharing my ideas on happiness and self-improvement. I never thought that blogging could be a big business. So, it just happened.

Define happiness. What is it? Is it achievable?

For me, happiness is a state of contentment. One can become content with whatever he/she has. But we often base our happiness on our achievements. “I’ll be happy when I have….” and when we get that, the quest for the next goal begins. We continue to postpone our happiness.

It is 100% achievable (rather I would say attainable) at this very moment, only if we choose to be happy. So, it’s a choice.

Everyone faces challenges but being unhappy won’t let you overcome the problem. Instead, when we focus on happiness (keep our vibes high) problems pass away with ease.

Does social media help us to be happy? Everyone is always posting about their amazing life and you watch that and you are like my life is crappy.

I like social media. It is a great way to connect with people on both personal and professional fronts. In fact, I got the opportunity to connect with plenty of my childhood friends through Facebook only, but at some point, I think we have to balance our time to be more productive! We often waste lots of time mindlessly scrolling through the social media posts of others and comparing ourselves with them.

Social media has created unnecessary competition and comparisons. These two are the self-created enemies of happiness.

Are happiness and joy one and the same?

Now, this is a tricky question! Well, I have heard people counting the differences between joy and happiness. But I personally feel when you feel happiness (lasting happiness) in your core, there is no difference between the two. (I may be wrong but this is what I feel).

Talk to me about some challenges you have faced in your life and how you have overcome it.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced in my life was a severe health condition at a point of time when I was at the top of the world. Great job, happy relations. That was the turning point in my life. But it is said rightly that every obstacle comes with an opportunity. This condition became my ally for the inner journey and true happiness.

Walk me through the city you live in. The hustle, bustle, streets, food, and restaurants and why should we visit it?

I come from the city of foodies. The capital city of India- New Delhi. It is a vibrant place. People in my city are fond of dressing stylishly and food. One can enjoy a wide variety of food here, especially street food.

Delhi offers a large number of jobs in different sectors. If you are in Delhi, you must try the street food and go shopping.

Delhi is also rich in history, there are lots of beautiful monuments and parks which depict the stories of Mughals.

Delhi is famous for its cultural diversity, mouth-watering food, shopping, history, and luxurious lifestyle. It’s worth visiting for those who want to discover new places.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment means a lot to me. In a country like India, where gender inequality still exists, women’s empowerment plays a role. Although women are becoming self-empowered, they are giving value to themselves and their choices. I am glad such women not only stand by themselves but also for those who need an external push to get on.

How do you balance food faith finance and family in your life?

Balance is my priority. All these 4Fs are important to me. Well, I start my day with few minutes with myself, it’s the time when I meditate, reflect, and plan my day ahead. I believe in going with a plan. I know everything doesn’t go as per the plans but planning ahead makes me feel balanced and prepared for the day-long challenges. For me, planning is the key.

Photo Credits: Gian Cescon Andrew Neel Rishabh Pandoh Jeet Khatri Raghu Nayyar