Happiness vs contentment

I've been happy for every day of 2006 thus far. Yes, EVERY day. It doesn't take too much to make me happy, but such a sustained period of happiness is still quite rare for me. I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly why, but does it really matter?

In any case, I was pondering about it and came up with these:

Maybe it's because 2006, the year I've been looking forward to since 2004, is finally here.

Or maybe because the countdown is entering the latter stages now. Seventy something days sounds so little, so manageable (as opposed to thinking of it as 11 weeks or 2.5 months)!

Or maybe because 慧 has taken to nursery much better than we've hoped for.

Or maybe because of Le Tissier's smooth recovery and hearing 秋's cheerfulness flow through the phone lines.

Or maybe because I can actually see myself finishing what I've boldly (or foolishly) stepped into three years back. I have to admit that for most of these three years, I've never experienced a sustained period of confidence that I could complete this job. This despite me being a person who is rather confident of his own abilities. But I've been feeling this conviction since 2006 kicked in ten days back. That "not-only-have-I-survived-this-but-I've-done-much-better-than-expected" feeling.

Or maybe because I've just found out recently I've got a SECOND regular reader. Heh.

Or maybe because...

It takes even lesser to make me feel contented. I've been feeling contented for the most of 2005. Even in the latter half of it when work was at its toughest and the idea of going home for even a short break was put paid by it.

I'm a believer that happiness is not sustainable but it comes in occasional spurts. The best I can do is to maintain a high level of contentment which enhances the frequency of these spurts. And hey, I'm easily contented so happiness really is quite near at hand most of the time.

Le Tissier once referred to me as "Seven Years in Tibet" (after the movie) because I have so few wants. Jim was to make a similar remark about me after I've been his tenant for some time. Indeed, Le Tis added that he wished he was more like me so that his feelings of discontentment (about his evergrowing material wants not being met) will go away.

That's what I really like about Le Tis as a pal. He is always so brutally frank, even with himself.

If you ask me what are my wants right now, at this very moment, I would say just to get home in one serviceable piece.

Well, maybe also a new PC, if my 3 year-old laptop was to conk out before my work here is done(fingers crossed on this!). And maybe a new tricycle, for my niece. And may I throw in the Xbox 360 into the list? A couple more of those DVDs in my list would also be nice. I've also quite a couple of aviation memoirs lined up should I have the spare cash. And maybe...

Akan Datang: Dwindling music sources

79 days to go.