In Search of Happiness

Domhnall O’Donoghue has been finding happiness in life’s simple things over the past year while his globe-trotting adventures are on hold.

A year ago, if somebody had asked me what gave me the most pleasure in life, instantly I would have replied: travel. For me, nothing could compete with the thrill of sashaying into a busy airport, suitcase in one hand, passport in the other before jetting off to some far-flung destination.

There were few things as joyous as visiting my partner’s hometown of Venice and sipping Aperol Spritz as the sunset transformed the evening sky into a fusion of red and amber. With gondolas bobbing up and down on the lagoon in front of us, nothing - not even pesky, bloodthirsty midges - could sully those spellbinding moments.

And what about venturing into unknown territories - a new country, city or region. I’ll always remember exploring Spinalonga, the haunting former leper colony in Crete, which Victoria Heslip vividly brought to life in her bestseller, The Island. Not to mention my brief but unforgettable stay in Ocho Rios’ iconic Jamaica Inn located on the shores of the glistening Caribbean Ocean where Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller once honeymooned.

So much of my love for travel is rooted in the fact that during my early twenties, struggling with anxiety, I refused point-blank to board a flight. But determined to experience the magic of the world, which my parents had instilled in me from an early age, I eventually overcame those fears. In fact, two years ago, I was even hurled across a Welsh slate quarry on the world’s fastest zipline - a feat that would surely stun my younger self! (Although my heart has yet to return to its normal pace!)

Then, in March 2020, my globetrotting adventures came to a standstill. As it happened, when Leo Varadkar famously addressed the nation from Washington, I was in the middle of a press trip to the Benelux countries on behalf of Woman’s Way. I abandoned the remainder of my itinerary and immediately returned home from Brussels. Since then, my well-thumbed passport has been gathering dust.

Over the past twelve months, the entire world has been prevented from enjoying those age-old pursuits and rituals that fortify and uplift us. Of course, international travel is now a no-no, but so are everyday activities like having lunch with family and friends, playing a sport or going to the cinema or theatre. As a result, we’ve all had to drastically reimagine how and where we now find happiness and pleasure.

For me, the lockdown restrictions have produced some unexpectedly positive results.

By tapping into the magic around me, I have been rediscovering the benefits of life’s simple things.

Dashing abroad, how often have I overlooked the lush and elegant beauty on my doorstep - the Phoenix Park, Botanic Gardens or Royal Canal, for instance. Over the past 12 months, I’ve been amazed by how much satisfaction can be cultivated from merely walking amongst nature, sipping a freshly brewed coffee and watching a long-legged heron strike a pose on a branch, for instance.

Because of limited movement, my partner and I have also loved becoming more active in the community that we’ve been calling home for three years, Ashtown. For instance, last week, we shared some of our surplus plants and flowers with neighbours who we had never met before and, in return, they treated us to biscuits and home-baking - and even a bottle of wine!

These neighbours told me that they, too, have been finding pleasure in the slower-paced activities that they once took for granted, including cooking, gardening, reading - and even cleaning! One woman joked that she has only now fully learned what her husband actually does for a living - despite being married for thirty years!

According to my dear friend, Fiona Brennan, best-selling author of The Positive Habit and The Self-Love Habit: “It is an entirely positive thing that many of us have been asked to reimagine happiness due to lockdown life stripping away our normal outlets for joy. This imposed period has highlighted that happiness is not and can never be found in external circumstances.”

Fiona adds: “Pleasure, however, may be found in the adventure of foreign travel, a delicious meal out, a mesmerising night at the theatre - and yet, as the Dalai Lama himself pointed out, pleasure and happiness are two very different things. Pleasure is transitory. Happiness is an internal state that we self-generate, no matter what state of flux the world is in.”

While I am optimistic that the world will ultimately overcome the chaos and devastation of COVID-19 - and I’ll be able to put my passport to use again - until then, I will continue cherishing the surprising benefits that are emerging from this challenging period.

Whatever the future holds, I am determined never to lose my newfound appreciation of life’s simple things.