{"id":4565,"date":"2025-10-19T09:47:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T04:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/?p=4565"},"modified":"2025-10-19T09:47:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T04:17:16","slug":"flipping-through-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/?p=4565","title":{"rendered":"Flipping Through Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I was reading my journal the other day, flipping through pages filled with worries, reflections, and small joys. It was strange to see the timeline of my own life, the moments I barely noticed at the time, now standing out like little beacons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aug 5, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We got our school vacation. I enrolled in an ICT certificate course. Also, my weekly schedule is full of all kinds of stressful stuff. The word <em>\u201cvacation\u201d<\/em> feels like a joke.<br>After all this, hopefully, everything will get better. Waiting for my <em>\u201chappily ever after.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was preoccupied with the future at the time, believing that happiness would arrive later. In retrospect, I realize that finding joy amid a hectic, stressful schedule is more important than waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/late-night-studying-stockcake.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/late-night-studying-stockcake.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/late-night-studying-stockcake-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/late-night-studying-stockcake-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Feb 1, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gap between today and the last time I wrote is scaring me. All I know is that my life feels so exhausting. I feel empty. I have everything, yet at the same time, I have nothing. How do I even explain it? Ahhh\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes me think that just because everything looks good on the outside, it doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;re feeling great on the inside. True happiness isn\u2019t about what you achieve or own. It\u2019s all about appreciating the little things, those sweet moments, and just being present as life as it unfolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 15, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.\u201d \u2014 <em>Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)<\/em><br>Wow, I never thought about life that way. That one phrase made me pause for a moment and think. Maybe I should give it a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-576x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4567\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59.jpeg 675w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This seemed like a big moment. Until now, I was just hanging on for a \u201chappily ever after,\u201d always looking ahead and getting stressed about the daily grind. That one little thought hit me and made me see that life\u2019s everyday moments can be amazing if I just take a moment to notice them. I started to move from just waiting for happiness to seeing it all around me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 18, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My momma is so beautiful. I always forget how beautiful she is because I see her every day. So today, instead of just seeing and ignoring, I watched. Those white strands framed her fair, heart-shaped face like a waterfall. Then I felt so satisfied and loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve got the most beautiful Queen!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"574\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-1-1-574x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-1-1-574x1024.jpeg 574w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-1-1-168x300.jpeg 168w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-16-at-23.09.59-1-1.jpeg 718w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After realizing that small moments can be extraordinary, I decided to really pay attention to her and appreciate those little moments that can be amazing. When we take the time to really pay attention to our loved ones and catch those little things we often miss, it makes us feel more grateful and loving. Real beauty and connection are all around us in those little everyday moments, we just need to notice them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 20, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Birds really know how to do a chorus!! Why have I never heard it before? I always thought of \u201cbirds singing\u201d as a <em>just-in-books<\/em> kind of thing. I woke up and lay on the bed, just listening, then I heard them.<br>School was okay. I feel happy and\u2026 satisfied??!! Maybe (most probably) it\u2019s just hormones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nature is full of simple wonders, waiting quietly to be noticed. By pausing to listen, observe, or simply be present, ordinary moments can transform into something extraordinary, filling us with gentle joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 21, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent some time with my parents today. No phones, no scrolling. Just me, them, and tea. Honestly, they were worried I was sick and kept checking if I had a fever, because I was acting so out of my normal tracks. Haha. But they looked much happier. Maybe I should\u2019ve done this much earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I should try other things as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gemini_Generated_Image_i5o3x2i5o3x2i5o3-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gemini_Generated_Image_i5o3x2i5o3x2i5o3.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gemini_Generated_Image_i5o3x2i5o3x2i5o3-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gemini_Generated_Image_i5o3x2i5o3x2i5o3-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gemini_Generated_Image_i5o3x2i5o3x2i5o3-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I think Coelho was right \u2014 we must enjoy the little things in life, because one day we may look back and realize they were the big things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, I don\u2019t feel like waiting for a \u201chappily ever after\u201d anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Real happiness is all about those simple, shared moments. We don\u2019t have to hold out for some perfect future just paying attention, getting involved, and enjoying life as it happens is where the real joy is at. Just being in the moment is the real \u201chappily ever after\u201d we usually chase after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"539\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/360_F_434475192_x7EtDzAaIDCc4OIBElsm68zG2Os9uEXh.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/360_F_434475192_x7EtDzAaIDCc4OIBElsm68zG2Os9uEXh.jpg 539w, https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/360_F_434475192_x7EtDzAaIDCc4OIBElsm68zG2Os9uEXh-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRemember to live today and cherish the moment, rather than just planning to live tomorrow.\u201d \u2013 Sukhitha (me :))<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking back, the little things; a shared cup of tea, birds singing, sunlight were the moments that shaped my happiness. We spend so much time planning for a future that may never arrive, while the present slips quietly by. Cherishing the small, ordinary, everyday moments doesn\u2019t just fill our days; it fills our hearts. The \u201chappily ever after\u201d isn\u2019t a distant destination; it\u2019s hidden in the moments we often take for granted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was reading my journal the other day, flipping through pages filled with worries, reflections, and small joys. It was strange to see the timeline of my own life, the moments I barely noticed at the time, now standing out like little beacons. Aug 5, 2022 We got our school vacation. I enrolled in an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124314,"featured_media":4571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[207],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/124314"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4565"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4575,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565\/revisions\/4575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}