Happiness| Well-being | Inspiration | Education
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
About me:
My name is Hossein Zamani. I have been an ESL/EFL teacher since 2004. In this blog, I am going to post little moments that make me feel happy as I come across them as a teacher at language schools, as a student at McGill University, and as a human being in my everyday life.
Having a circle of appreciative friends makes me happy.
I feel happy when I am received warmly by others. It feels great to be appreciated for who I am and what I contribute to the world around me. This makes me think that having people around me who say good things about me makes me realize that I am a valuable being, so I realize that I have to take care of my well-being because this world needs me.
I am happy and healthy on the inside when I see my family.
This is a very special and unique moment. I am sitting next to my grandpa feeling really thrilled to reunite with him because he lives in Iran, far away from me. This picture makes me realize that in order to enjoy the happy moments with my loved ones, I need to be happy and healthy on the inside to be able to see the beauty and feel the joy generated in the presence of others. Besides, I feel that by being happy and content, we could transfer such feelings to each other.
I feel responsible for the creation of my own happiness and well-being.
Having been told that I needed to change my lifestyle or I will risk my health, I started working out at the gym, taking more walks, and eating healthy food. Once I realized that I was losing weight, I hit me that I am responsible for my own well-being. It make me pay mindful attention to my physical being.
I seize every opportunity to be in circle of friends and family.
On a one-day excursion to Firoozkooh, my family (my mother, brother, my wife) and I waded into deep water passing through the Savashi valley. I felt great firstly becasue we had to walk heavily into cold deep white water; secondly, every step we took was mysterious as we had no idea how deep the spot we were landing on was. Besides, we were mindful of each other by holding each other’s hand and making sure everyone was safe. This thrilling trip made me realize how important it was to seize the day and enjoy little moments with our loved ones through thin and thick of the life.
I enjoy showing compassion to the world around me.
I do enjoy feeding animals. It makes me feel useful. As soon as I see them looking at us through the glass door of the balcony, I forget my obsessions and start to smile without my being aware of it. Then, it dawns on me that in order for such little states of happiness to last, I should show compassion to and care about the world around me.
Collaboration is good for my mental health.
This is a poster my group made on well-being using Photovoice technique. I felt great about this collaboration because all groups shared many different stories about how much they struggle to remain physically and mentally well that was not only fun but also informative.This collaborative activity made me realize that we all have similar concerns and obsessions in life. This made me feel very relieved as an immigrant student indeed!
Having a healthy diet leads to clear conscience in me.
This is one of the moments when I feel I have a clear conscience about my health – having a Mediterranean diet.
Listening to reassuring news in the time of crisis elevates my spirits and enhances my mental health.
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, different rumors about grocery apocalypse are widespread, which is scary and disappointing. However, listening to supportive news from the government is encouraging. It helps me stay optimistic about how things will end up.
Listening to sounds of nature brings me peace.
I go jogging every day to keep my spirits high during the time of the pandemic. It helps me stay in shape, fend off negative energy and depression from my life, and stay highly-spirited.
Although it is difficult to stay optimistic and positive these days, I plan to stay on schedule with my to To-do list. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment, thus feeling happy.
Every time I accomplish something no matter how big or small it is, I treat myself to some snack/food. This is a happy and rewarding moment for me.
Shades of Well-being 