Just recently we went out for dinner to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Eleven of us met at a local curry restaurant on a Sunday evening and were seated at a long table. I don’t know about you, but I find eating out in big groups, while loads of fun, can sometimes… cause a seating dilemma. Haha! Should the seating go – male next to a female, partner next to partner or genders separated?
No biggie really because everyone has fun wherever they sit, but I bring this up because we often end up separating the genders at long tables, on occasions like this. The women tend to gravitate towards one another on one side of the table, and the men on the other. (It also occurs at our barbecues and parties.) Do you experience this with your group of friends too? Anyway, it happened with us that evening. And the women were very happy to sit together! Even though we laughed about it at the time, we all, in fact, like to hang out with our own genders a lot of the time.
At our dinner parties, we also often try to enforce that a male sits next to a female, to encourage diverse conversation or chatting with different people. And that arrangement does lead to a more coherent dinner party with everyone talking to everyone. But at other times, we keep things casual and let people decide for themselves. Sometimes women just want to chat with other women and men to other men.
And this brings me to the “How to Instantly Add Happiness To Your Life” part.
As a middle-aged woman, I’ve realised that, while I love to chat with most people, I now especially love chatting with my fellow middle-aged women. It’s almost as if the whole ‘village’ vibe (as in ‘it takes a village’) and sense of community, is back, and we’ve got so much to catch up on! We’ve now got enough life experience to enable us to reminisce, and lots in common as middle-agers, that we can talk about and relate to. Midlife, for me, is bringing with it an openness and an authenticity with my girlfriends, like never before. And spending time with my friends instantly adds happiness to my life.
So… if you want to add instant happiness to your life – spend time with your girlfriends – because they’ll do just that!
Of course, you’ve got to have the right kind of girlfriends! Because having a friend who constantly moans and brings you down, is not the way to go! Obvs. The friends I have now are like-minded people who enjoy life, are encouraging and are not judgmental. We certainly don’t need a grouch around, ruining our mood. Am I right?
So if you don’t have any upbeat, supportive girlfriends in your life, I recommend going out and finding a few. Join a local walking group, accept invitations where you can meet new people, organise a coffee meet-up and get friends to bring people you don’t know. Talking and laughing with your girlfriends can combat any bout of loneliness or feeling of sadness you might be experiencing.
Hanging out with my girlfriends instantly adds happiness to my life! #middleagehappiness #midlifefun Share on X
And here are a few more ideas that might add happiness to your life:
Treat yourself to an anti-ageing facial treatment.
Call a friend and go to a movie together.
Organise a group of girlfriends to visit an art museum with each other.
Plan a trip away with your partner.
Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.
Go to a gym/yoga/pilates/boxing/writing class.
Go for a walk or a swim.
Listen to an inspiring TED talk.
So how do you add happiness to your life? Do you enjoy hanging out with your girlfriends? Or do you prefer your own company?
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Happy times!