Dear friends.
In this talk,
We are going to consider Hooge.
Hooker is a Danish word.
It's a concept used to describe things or feelings of cosiness,
Happiness and well-being.
We'll see if we can bring a little more comfort and contentment into our lives.
By noticing the small joys of everyday living.
As the concept suggests.
But first of all,
An opportunity to come into a presence.
Just one minute.
60 seconds.
To allow ourselves to relax into the comfort of this present moment.
Welcome back.
Let's consider this simple question.
What would you consider to be a good day?
I'm not asking you to call to mind the extraordinary situations that come along only rarely.
These are wonderful events when they arrive.
But they present themselves infrequently.
Instead,
Just think of the ordinary,
Everyday,
Little things.
That bring you to a place of warmth and contentment.
Things such as a morning when you sit holding a warm cup of tea or coffee in your hand.
Maybe simply a peek out your window where you notice the wonderful brightness of the day outside.
And what about another type of day?
Where you might be looking out your window and you notice trickles of rain engaging in a wavy dance.
As they make their way from the top of your window to the bottom.
A happy day might be a day when you meet a true friend,
Someone you've known for a long time.
And whose arrival always brings about a smile or a laugh.
I love the joy of a cancelled appointment.
It gives me the unexpected gift of an afternoon to myself.
I'm sure you've come across those as well.
Or landing home after a busy day.
And just sitting on a chair,
Just relaxing in the security of your own room.
These are some of the everyday moments of happiness,
Which are captured by the Danish word,
Hygge.
The word suggests cosiness,
Warmth,
Comfort.
It conjures up ideas of togetherness and contentment.
Feelings of being safe and at ease.
The practice of hookah.
Encourages us to value the everyday moments that make life feel good.
These are the moments which come along without our asking a word.
They might happily ambush us as we are engaged in the more usual pursuit of some type of act of happiness of our own choosing.
Hooker reminds us to stop,
To open our eyes,
Look around and see how happiness is already present.
I'm sure all of us have noticed how,
In our search for the spectacular,
We can miss the magic of the simple everyday.
I think this calls for another moment of reflection.
So let's take 60 seconds,
One minute,
To bask in the awareness of the simple joys with which we are surrounded.
Welcome back.
Holger is mainly associated with Denmark.
But the idea has attracted attention more widely.
So what is it exactly?
Close your eyes for a moment.
And just imagine a cold winter evening.
Outside the wind is blowing and rain or snow is falling.
But there you are inside.
Sitting in your favorite chair.
You might have a warm drink in your hand.
An interesting book on your lap.
Or maybe the evening is easier still.
Just some music coming from your speakers.
Maybe the happiness of a friend or lover sitting beside you or in the next chair.
Now to the casual observer,
This might appear to be a boring situation.
Shouldn't we be always seeking excitement?
But this isn't boring at all.
Here in this room,
There's a feeling of happy contentment.
This is a hugger type of experience.
And,
You know,
I think we could all do with a little more of that.
The word conjures up cosy ideas of winter by the fire.
Warm blankets,
Candles,
The cold world outside kept at bay.
But it would be a pity if our idea of hygge had to be confined to winter evenings.
Happiness and contentment can be found in all seasons.
A relaxing walk,
Alone or with a friend.
This might be in a new place or it might be in an already familiar location.
Think of the happiness of a shared meal.
Or an all-absorbing conversation.
All these are an opportunity for grateful contentedness in the moment.
And this awareness of our good fortune is not something that we can simply go out and buy.
It's not as easy as that.
If happiness could be bought.
Then the richest people on this planet would be the happiest.
But we know from experience that the opposite is the case.
There's no limit to our possible desires and to the grasping that attempts unsuccessfully to fill that emptiness.
Happiness arises when we appreciate the things we already have.
And when we are thankful for the people who are part of our lives.
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that things will be better someday.
Are,
If only.
I'm sure this is a fairly common experience and certainly it's one that I've had.
But there is no lasting happiness in living for tomorrow.
Yes,
It is good to have projects to pursue.
Places to see.
The usual bucket list that people frequently talk about.
So there's nothing wrong with these plans,
These hopes.
But what about today?
Its blessings.
It's coziness.
Its familiarity and its comfort.
Let's enjoy the hugger moments.
And the happiness that the awareness of them brings.
Hucka is not pretending that life is perfect.
There's probably a danger in examining any philosophy of happiness.
That we might begin to feel that we should always feel happy.
But how could that ever be the case?
Huga doesn't mean that life is perfect.
Every life contains difficulties.
There's illness,
Loneliness.
We experience disappointment.
We suffer loss and bereavement.
We live with uncertainty.
And no amount of candlelight or warm tea on a cold night can make these realities disappear.
So there's no point in pretending that they do.
But the small comforts of life become even more valuable when things are difficult and when times are tough.
Think of the kindness of a friend who sits beside us when no words can be found to ease our pain.
Just remember to think of a person who doesn't require a special occasion before they invite us out to share a meal.
Comfort of a familiar room and chair.
An absorbing conversation.
A meaningful hug.
These things don't remove suffering.
But they can make suffering a little easier to bear.
And this is the wonderful thing about Hugger.
It doesn't hold out the promise that life will always be easy.
Instead,
It invites us to notice the warmth and the goodness to be found in the so-called ordinary life.
The joy when we stop to notice these things with gratitude.
So here is another idea to try out.
There's nothing to be lost by giving it a try.
How about living with these ideas for a week or two?
And see what happens.
Namaste.
