The funniest thing in life is that happy things come at you just as unexpectedly as unhappy things. You see, a month ago, I was absolutely happy enjoying my new found power in spending as opposed to my life in US when I was income-less and consistently reminding myself to be frugal with every turn of my head even as my eyes fall astray to look at something I might desire to possess when I came across them.

I felt completely blessed to return to Singapore and be almost immediately taken back to my previous job by my ex-boss and highly encouraged by the career plans my direct and indirect supervisors were all talking excitedly to me about. I was psyched. My prior fears that I might have become obsolete were no longer true.

I'd returned to work and been told I was the right person in the right place at the right time because they needed someone of my expertise. I was like,"Wow! They actually need me."

So I geared myself up for political strategies, diplomatic networking and incessant hours. As much as needed. I'll do it. I'm grateful to be given a job after all that time vacationing in US. 3.5 years to be exact.

Then as fast as my simple contentment in life had settled in my heart, my naivety ended when I began to hear of this and that person I once knew and how much they're earning or how many properties they're buying or which country club they belonged. I was depressed for a a few days. But not for long. It's not in my personality to be depressed for long really. Life is too short for things like that.

So I thought I needed to remind myself of what really is important in life. Meditate on the things that matter to me. And here it is. The top 10 things that make me happy in no particular order of priority.

1) Happiness is in buying things I like without batting an eye-lid or giving a second thought to how I'm going to make ends meet.

2) Happiness is seeing Don sleeping next to me in the morning, and then nesting my head on his shoulder to snuggle and wake him gently before we gear up for work.

3) Happiness is smelling Don in fresh clothes.

4) Happiness is having lost some weight and then pigging out at Korean BBQ because you deserve to eat now.

5) Happiness is walking hand-in-hand with Don down the Siglap Connector in the cool evenings of Singapore and head towards the beach to chat about life or go for a chocolate sundae at McDonalds by the coast because we now deserved to eat after having walked a mile.

6) Happiness is watching movies in our bedroom with the air-conditioner on full blast so we have to snuggle under the comforter with only our faces half peeping at the TV.

7) Happiness is having written a paragraph or chapter for that book I'm still working on since 2 years ago.

8) Happiness is going for lunch with wonderful colleagues who stand by me no matter how stupid I've behaved in the last meeting or discussion.

9) Happiness is doing something new every month, like this month had been all about changing my dress image. I wonder what's next month? And that's fun to think about and makes me happy too.

10) Happiness is knowing I'm of noble blood because I have the blood of Christ, the King of Kings, running through my veins. It makes me raise my head, invariably makes me walk taller, with my header held higher, and strut about in life with purpose.

Reflecting on the above, just typing it, make me feel so happy. People should try it sometime. Perhaps if you read this note, you can try it. There is so much I feel happy about. I can't ever tell people how blessed I feel. I don't think people would understand. Because after all, they don't live my life. They're not me.

Only I know what makes me happy.