“Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!”

This is Ante, or as we used to call him, Antisha. He was one of our graphic designers at Atlas DMC and definitely a member of a team that always made us feel good, even on bad mood days. ?

This photo was taken during our lunch break, and I wish I could remember why he made me laugh so hard.

I miss those days and that kind of happiness. ?

I have a photographic memory, so when I saw that today is International Happiness Day, this picture instantly came to my mind.

Of course, I could have selected a thousand other photos, but I don't know why I decided this one should represent me as the happiest.

Maybe because on Sunday, I went to dinner, and as I was happily enjoying some great burek with truffles, a person I was dining with asked me a question:

"What makes you happy?"

I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I thought about it, trying to recall the moments when even my heart smiled. And I think that’s the definition of pure happiness.

His response was “money”.

Well, I couldn’t disagree, but that word didn’t sit well with my brain cells that had the thought process of trying to figure out what genuinely makes me happy.

Don’t get me wrong, of course, money can always cheer me up, and there are thousands of memes I share with my friends on the same topic, but it’s far away from what I think should be in correlation with the true meaning of happiness.

Who knows; maybe if someday I win a jackpot, I will finally understand how “money, money, money, must be funny in a rich man’s world”.

Even though I was never “rich”, by the time I moved to the UAE, I could say I got quite close to the idea of how money can actually make you pretty happy. Suddenly, I was able to afford things I could only dream about when I was younger or while living in Croatia. ?

• Would another pair of Chanel shoes make me happy? Absolutely!
• Would another trip to the Maldives make me happy? Without a doubt.
• Would fine dining make me happy? Always!
• Would waking up in a luxurious condo with breathtaking views of Dubai make me happy? By all means.
• Would driving a fancy car make me happy? Hell yeah!

And to afford that kind of happiness, yes, you need money, or, in other words, no money, no honey.

While Sia is singing about #cheapthrills, the ones I just mentioned are quite expensive, but they are still just the thrills if you ask me.

Well, let me tell you, when I finally reached the Maldives, the first day I woke up, I was a victim of an internet fraud and lost 3,000 USD from my bank account. That surely didn’t make me happy, despite the fact that I happened to be in paradise. Not to mention that I was travelling AGAIN to these “honeymoon” destinations with my travel buddy instead of a romantic partner.

I guess I had money but ended up with no honey.

Do you want to accuse me of being a spoiled little brat? Go ahead, but by the time you read this to the end, I hope I’ll be able to rest my case for today’s “Real Happiness” episode.

Fine dining? Wonderful. I love it. I enjoy it—every single time and with all my senses. Yes, I also take photos because I consider chefs, cooks, and all those “Kitchen representatives” to be true artists. Of course, I will take proof of something that will be gone in 60 seconds if we’re talking about my relationship with the F&B. I will upload it on my IG story… so all my frenemies can see how I live #bestlifever while I will never hear back from the guy who actually took me to that dinner.

Well, money is his happiness, so we could hardly ever be a match.

But I do appreciate the honesty.

Another date ended with Casper the Ghost – which doesn’t make me happy at all, but the food was phenomenal! Maybe I should have taken his tattoo more seriously when it clearly stated he is a “here & now” kind of guy while I played Scarlett O’Hara’s role again, cheering myself up how – “After all, tomorrow is another day".

Shoes and clothes? Bring it on, but not when I go to the airport and face the overweight charges. Suddenly, I am no longer happy about being the proud owner of those branded goodies. Not to mention the mini heart attacks I face every single time I reach customs, explaining to police officers how that wonderful small bag is literally three years old, but it looks brand new because I spent a fortune to afford it, so I better take care of it.

Luxury condo? Well, well, well… I have over 789 different addresses on my Deliveroo account, which is the number of times I moved around Dubai because I could never find an apartment where something wasn’t bothering me. Fine, blame it on me being 'The Princess on the Pea'.

I might just move to the desert – literally. ?

“Hot Wheels”? I still haven’t bought one, so I can’t say, but Jeeps and SUVs seem like cars that could never disappoint me. Hopefully, there will come a time when I will prove to myself that I was very right about this one.

Conclusion:

“Money can buy a house, but not a home; a bed, but not rest; food, but not an appetite; medicine, but not health; information, but not wisdom; thrills, but not joy; associates, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty; flattery, but not respect.”

― Pat Williams

As you can see, having money doesn’t mean you can buy happiness. You can only buy its potential.

Rest assured, I always see potential in everything and everyone, but when it comes to things in life that make my heart smile, it’s the HUMAN CONNECTIONS.

RELATIONSHIPS.

BONDS.

Those you can share your happiness with and end up multiplying it.

People who make you feel good when you are around them. Those who make you laugh, those who help you remove the tears. Those who listen and try to understand even when they have zero clue what is going on.

Those who support you and encourage you to become a better person.

• As Jack Nicholson said in “As Good as It Gets” – You Make Me Want to Be a Better Man.
• As Tom Cruise said in “Jerry Maguire” – You complete me.

Those who text you after a great date and say how much they enjoyed the conversation.

Those you can’t wait to see again and vice versa.

The smile you have when you see their name on your phone screen.

Those who check up on you. Those who value your time and make plans.

Those who know how to keep their promise.

The more, the merrier kind of people. ?

Those who don’t want to talk about your past but rather fantasies about how you can build a future - together.

The believers. The dreamers. The goofy ones. The inspirational ones.

The vulnerable ones. ?

Those who care. Those who love animals and kids, even if they don’t want or can’t have them.

Those who will always fight for justice or on behalf of those who have no power.

Those who don’t hold grudges. Those who can forgive and know how to ask for forgiveness.

Those who understand that beauty is often in the simplest forms of life.

Those who lighten up your eyes when you see them – every single time.

The colleagues who are always there to support you and show what real teamwork truly means.

Those who celebrate your success as if it's their own.

Wise mentors.

Sincere bosses.

Honest friends.

Genuine partner. ?

Seeing my parents laugh.

Travel. Pasta. Teddybears. White flowers. Boats. Netflix. Movies. Walks. Angel numbers. Dance. Music. Inspirational quotes. Stars. Creamy Cakes. Memes. Beach. Sunrise. Sunset. Surprises. Appreciation. Awards. Losing weight.

Old photos...

Memories, just like this one with Antisha.

That makes me happy.