happiness Archives - Sweet Sharings https://sweetsharings.com/tag/happiness/ Eat Healthy, Make time for Adventure and Count your Blessings! Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:35:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/sweetsharings.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-IMG_3674-300x300-1-e1635944012858.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 happiness Archives - Sweet Sharings https://sweetsharings.com/tag/happiness/ 32 32 199328110 A Return to Sharing, Inspired by My Father.  https://sweetsharings.com/inspired-sharing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inspired-sharing https://sweetsharings.com/inspired-sharing/#respond Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:08:40 +0000 https://sweetsharings.com/?p=8163 https://sweetsharings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/I-am-back.jpg I used to be very active on social media and on my blog, sharing stories, reflections, and moments from my life. Over the years, I stepped back. I needed rest. I needed space. And slowly, I became more guarded, sharing only on a “need to know” basis. There were many reasons for this pause. Tiredness. Demotivation. Hurtful comments that came from envy and resentment rather than kindness. You know, you can say negative things about someone behind their back, but sooner or later, those words find their way back to the person.  Even with genuine friends encouraging me to return, I felt too weak at the time to face it all again. It especially stung when unkind words came from people I thought were close. I shared with the intention to inspire, never to make anyone feel “less than.” Yet that was how some chose to receive it. For me, writing and creating digital content were a form of therapy. I create and share for the joy it brings me, for the healing it gives me. They were a way to process my thoughts, to make sense of my experiences, and to nurture my own mental happiness. When I wrote, I felt lighter. When I shared, I felt connected. That was my reward. This journey actually began in 1998, when my father gave me my very first computer. I started an old blog that year, a simple space to write and reflect during a difficult time in my life. Later, I deleted that original blog and started a new one in 2000, which grew over the years before being neglected for a long time. Through it all, one thing remained constant: my dad’s belief that I needed an outlet. Dad saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time. He believed that writing could be a safe space for me, a place to pour out my heart and find clarity. He was right. That simple act of giving me a computer opened a door that has stayed with me ever since. Thank you, Dad. ❤️ It was not just blogging. It was creating. I started with my poems, then moved into designing graphics, dabbling in web design, and eventually creating short stories in video form on Instagram and Facebook. Each new medium was another way to express what words alone could not capture. Each creation was a small act of joy, a reminder that I could create something beautiful out of my thoughts and feelings. With time and the passing of my dad, something has shifted in me. I have come to realise that others’ negativity, the need to compare, jealousy and insecurities….belong to them. My life, my journey, and my reasons for sharing belong wholly to me. None of us are dealt a “bad card” in life. What I have may not be what you have, and what you have may not be what I have. Each of us carries a unique set of gifts, challenges, and blessings. It is sad when people focus only on what they do not have, and allow envy to grow in that space. But there is another way. It is so much lighter, and so much more beautiful, to choose genuine happiness for others. Not just the surface kind we show outwardly, or say in words, but the kind we truly feel in our hearts. When you are genuinely happy for someone else’s good fortune, you open your own heart to receive blessings too. They may not come in the same form, but they will come. Now, after the passing of my dad, something inside me has been activated again. The need to write, to create, to share. Grief has a way of stripping away what is unnecessary and revealing what truly matters. And what matters to me is this: to honour my father’s memory, to keep his love alive in the words I write and the things I create, and to find my own sense of peace in the act of creating. I believe that God has blessed everyone, just in different ways. Some blessings are visible: health, wealth, family, success, stability. Others are quiet and unseen: resilience, kindness, a gentle spirit, the ability to love deeply after loss. What matters is not comparing our cards, but playing the hand we’ve been given with grace and gratitude. Happiness is a Journey and a Choice, not a Destination. It is found in small moments: a walk in nature, a heartfelt conversation, a memory that makes us smile, a story shared with the hope of inspiring someone else. It is found when we release comparison, when we celebrate others without keeping score, and when we remember that our worth is not defined by what others say or think. As I return to this space, I do so with a lighter heart. I share not to impress, not to prove, not to build anything, but to connect and to heal. To say: You are not alone. Your journey matters. Your blessings matter. And to remind myself, and perhaps you too, that joy is always available, if we choose it. Always remember: happiness is a journey and a choice. Choose it today. And then choose it again tomorrow. Thank you, Dad, for the computer, for the belief, for the gift of words, and for inspiring a lifetime of creating. This return is for you. ❤️❤️❤️ – Nur Diyanah Magness – 17 August 2026

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]]> I used to be very active on social media and on my blog, sharing stories, reflections, and moments from my life. Over the years, I stepped back. I needed rest. I needed space. And slowly, I became more guarded, sharing only on a “need to know” basis. There were many reasons for this pause. Tiredness. Demotivation. Hurtful comments that came from envy and resentment rather than kindness. You know, you can say negative things about someone behind their back, but sooner or later, those words find their way back to the person. 

Even with genuine friends encouraging me to return, I felt too weak at the time to face it all again. It especially stung when unkind words came from people I thought were close. I shared with the intention to inspire, never to make anyone feel “less than.” Yet that was how some chose to receive it. For me, writing and creating digital content were a form of therapy. I create and share for the joy it brings me, for the healing it gives me. They were a way to process my thoughts, to make sense of my experiences, and to nurture my own mental happiness. When I wrote, I felt lighter. When I shared, I felt connected. That was my reward.

Dad inspired me

This journey actually began in 1998, when my father gave me my very first computer. I started an old blog that year, a simple space to write and reflect during a difficult time in my life. Later, I deleted that original blog and started a new one in 2000, which grew over the years before being neglected for a long time. Through it all, one thing remained constant: my dad’s belief that I needed an outlet. Dad saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time. He believed that writing could be a safe space for me, a place to pour out my heart and find clarity. He was right. That simple act of giving me a computer opened a door that has stayed with me ever since. Thank you, Dad. ❤

It was not just blogging. It was creating. I started with my poems, then moved into designing graphics, dabbling in web design, and eventually creating short stories in video form on Instagram and Facebook. Each new medium was another way to express what words alone could not capture. Each creation was a small act of joy, a reminder that I could create something beautiful out of my thoughts and feelings. With time and the passing of my dad, something has shifted in me. I have come to realise that others’ negativity, the need to compare, jealousy and insecurities….belong to them. My life, my journey, and my reasons for sharing belong wholly to me.


None of us are dealt a “bad card” in life. What I have may not be what you have, and what you have may not be what I have. Each of us carries a unique set of gifts, challenges, and blessings. It is sad when people focus only on what they do not have, and allow envy to grow in that space. But there is another way. It is so much lighter, and so much more beautiful, to choose genuine happiness for others. Not just the surface kind we show outwardly, or say in words, but the kind we truly feel in our hearts. When you are genuinely happy for someone else’s good fortune, you open your own heart to receive blessings too. They may not come in the same form, but they will come.

Now, after the passing of my dad, something inside me has been activated again. The need to write, to create, to share. Grief has a way of stripping away what is unnecessary and revealing what truly matters. And what matters to me is this: to honour my father’s memory, to keep his love alive in the words I write and the things I create, and to find my own sense of peace in the act of creating.

I believe that God has blessed everyone, just in different ways. Some blessings are visible: health, wealth, family, success, stability. Others are quiet and unseen: resilience, kindness, a gentle spirit, the ability to love deeply after loss. What matters is not comparing our cards, but playing the hand we’ve been given with grace and gratitude.

Happiness is a Journey and a Choice, not a Destination. It is found in small moments: a walk in nature, a heartfelt conversation, a memory that makes us smile, a story shared with the hope of inspiring someone else. It is found when we release comparison, when we celebrate others without keeping score, and when we remember that our worth is not defined by what others say or think.

As I return to this space, I do so with a lighter heart. I share not to impress, not to prove, not to build anything, but to connect and to heal. To say: You are not alone. Your journey matters. Your blessings matter. And to remind myself, and perhaps you too, that joy is always available, if we choose it.

Happiness is a Journey

Always remember: happiness is a journey and a choice. Choose it today. And then choose it again tomorrow. Thank you, Dad, for the computer, for the belief, for the gift of words, and for inspiring a lifetime of creating. This return is for you. ❤❤❤

– Nur Diyanah Magness – 17 August 2026

The post A Return to Sharing, Inspired by My Father.  appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

]]> https://sweetsharings.com/inspired-sharing/feed/ 0 8163 Embracing a Positive Life in Abundance – Strategies for Happiness https://sweetsharings.com/positive-life-in-abundance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=positive-life-in-abundance https://sweetsharings.com/positive-life-in-abundance/#respond Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:19:00 +0000 http://box5414.temp.domains/~sweetuq7/?p=110 https://sweetsharings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Positive_life.jpeg When we talk about a positive life in abundance, most people immediately think of money. Financial prosperity is one obvious expression of abundance, but it is not the whole story. So what is the meaning of this positive life in abundance? It is important to understand that a person who lives in abundance is one that has abundance of positive energy, joy, and love.  Developing a mindset of abundance With an abundance mindset you will come from a place of gratitude and appreciation. This abundance mentality will help you create more opportunity, more happiness and more fulfilment in Life. It will help you focus on making progress every day, and celebrating your achievements. Creating an abundant mindset allows you to: “The key to abundance is meeting limiting circumstances with unlimited thoughts” — Marianne Williamson If you choose to live a positive life in abundance you are always focused on the positive and are excited about the endless opportunities in your future. Do not take anyone for granted and do not allow yourself to be taken for granted either. In order to have goodness and positive abundance in life, always keep a positive frame of mind. Share what you know to be good with others and avoid negative people and negative situations because these are what bring you down and in turn bring you a chain of negativities in your life. I know this to be true because I am speaking out of experience. Wishing you a wonderful and positive day. Nur Diyanah Magness

The post Embracing a Positive Life in Abundance – Strategies for Happiness appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

]]> When we talk about a positive life in abundance, most people immediately think of money. Financial prosperity is one obvious expression of abundance, but it is not the whole story.

So what is the meaning of this positive life in abundance? It is important to understand that a person who lives in abundance is one that has abundance of positive energy, joy, and love. 

Developing a mindset of abundance

With an abundance mindset you will come from a place of gratitude and appreciation. This abundance mentality will help you create more opportunity, more happiness and more fulfilment in Life. It will help you focus on making progress every day, and celebrating your achievements.

Creating an abundant mindset allows you to:

  • Have the freedom to grow without limitations or restrictions
  • See the world as full of opportunities
  • Have greater clarity and focus around creating something bigger in the future
  • Focus on gratitude despite the circumstances
  • Create exponential growth rather than linear growth
  • Feel plentiful, creative, and inspired
  • Create memorable and meaningful life experiences
positive life in abundance

“The key to abundance is meeting limiting circumstances with unlimited thoughts”

— Marianne Williamson

If you choose to live a positive life in abundance you are always focused on the positive and are excited about the endless opportunities in your future. Do not take anyone for granted and do not allow yourself to be taken for granted either. In order to have goodness and positive abundance in life, always keep a positive frame of mind.

Share what you know to be good with others and avoid negative people and negative situations because these are what bring you down and in turn bring you a chain of negativities in your life. I know this to be true because I am speaking out of experience.

Wishing you a wonderful and positive day.

Nur Diyanah Magness

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]]> https://sweetsharings.com/positive-life-in-abundance/feed/ 0 110 Embrace Imperfections – The Beautiful Story of the Burnt Biscuit https://sweetsharings.com/the-burnt-biscuit-story/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-burnt-biscuit-story https://sweetsharings.com/the-burnt-biscuit-story/#respond Mon, 10 May 2010 08:44:00 +0000 http://box5414.temp.domains/~sweetuq7/?p=202 https://sweetsharings.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Burnt_Biscuits.jpeg The Burnt Biscuit Story illustrates the importance of acceptance in relationships. A father embraces his wife’s imperfect cooking, highlighting that love is about appreciating each other’s flaws. The narrative encourages celebrating differences and emphasizes that happiness is a personal choice. Ultimately, it advocates embracing life’s imperfections with patience and positivity. This is how the story goes : Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. That evening, mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt biscuits in front of dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed. All dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite. When I got up from the table, I remember hearing mom apologize to dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said : Honey, I love burned biscuits. Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said,”Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!” You know, life is full of imperfect things…..and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others’ faults – and choosing to celebrate each others differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. Because in the end, you are the master of your own life, to be happy or unhappy, to be positive or negative. We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship. Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket – keep it in your own. So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine And that’s my prayer for you today. That you learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and embrace it with patience and a positive acceptance. At the end of the day, we reap what we sow. Our actions and words can either make or break relationships where a burnt biscuit isn’t a deal-breaker! If you liked this story, then you may also enjoy : A Valuable Lesson about priorities and happiness. Did you like the burnt biscuit story? Give me your thoughts on it. I would love to know! Leave a comment below.

The post Embrace Imperfections – The Beautiful Story of the Burnt Biscuit appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

]]> The Burnt Biscuit Story illustrates the importance of acceptance in relationships. A father embraces his wife’s imperfect cooking, highlighting that love is about appreciating each other’s flaws. The narrative encourages celebrating differences and emphasizes that happiness is a personal choice. Ultimately, it advocates embracing life’s imperfections with patience and positivity.

This is how the story goes :

Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. That evening, mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt biscuits in front of dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed.

All dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite.

When I got up from the table, I remember hearing mom apologize to dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said :

Honey, I love burned biscuits.

the burnt biscuit story

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said,”Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”

You know, life is full of imperfect things…..and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others’ faults – and choosing to celebrate each others differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Because in the end, you are the master of your own life, to be happy or unhappy, to be positive or negative.

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship. Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket – keep it in your own. So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine

And that’s my prayer for you today. That you learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and embrace it with patience and a positive acceptance. At the end of the day, we reap what we sow. Our actions and words can either make or break relationships where a burnt biscuit isn’t a deal-breaker!

If you liked this story, then you may also enjoy : A Valuable Lesson about priorities and happiness.

Did you like the burnt biscuit story? Give me your thoughts on it. I would love to know! Leave a comment below.

The post Embrace Imperfections – The Beautiful Story of the Burnt Biscuit appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

]]> https://sweetsharings.com/the-burnt-biscuit-story/feed/ 0 202 A Valuable Lesson About Priorities and Happiness. https://sweetsharings.com/valuable-lesson-about-priorities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=valuable-lesson-about-priorities https://sweetsharings.com/valuable-lesson-about-priorities/#respond Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:00 +0000 http://box5414.temp.domains/~sweetuq7/?p=217 https://sweetsharings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/64967538-ED10-4D89-9E63-BABA751487C9.jpeg Valuable Lesson about priorities - The Mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. Always make time to connect with friends and family.

The post A Valuable Lesson About Priorities and Happiness. appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

]]> This is a story that has a valuable lesson about priorities in Life. When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the story of the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

Valuable Lesson About Priorities
A professor stood before his philosophy
class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up
a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls..
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf ball
He then asked the students
again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box
of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded
with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed..
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize
that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else—the small stuff..
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the
pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that
are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean
the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first—
the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled and said,
‘I’m glad you asked.’
The Coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS…
..IT’S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN

A VALUABLE LESSON ABOUT PRIORITIES IN LIFE. Did you like this story? I would love to know your thoughts on it. a comment or mention me on facebook @sweetsharings  and tag  #sweetsharings !

If you liked this story, then you may also appreciate Hapiness, Happy Hormones and Moods.

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