The Happiness Portfolio

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama

Dear investors  & Friends:

Season’s Greetings and welcome to this SundayReads!

I remember the last Christmas , when my niece tore into a carefully wrapped gift. Her face lit up—it was the toy she’d been dreaming about. By evening, it was her constant companion. By the next week, it had already been relegated to the corner.

Familiar? This tiny tale captures a truth. Daniel Gilbert highlights in Stumbling on Happiness: we’re incredibly skilled at desiring things but remarkably poor at staying satisfied once we have them. No! I am not chastising ourselves for chasing happiness in shiny objects; more so, it’s about understanding what really works. Happiness often lies not where we think it will but in places we rarely stop to look.

Think of Christmas lights. Each year, my team will haul out tangled strands, patiently untangling them to drape them over our Christmas tree. The lights glow, not because of any one bulb, but because of the connections that link them together. Happiness, is like those lights—it shines brightest when it’s grounded in connections, not isolated moments.

If you ever go out with friends or sit with family for a Christmas dinner, think of the glow. It comes from the shared laughter, the clinking glasses, the familiar chaos of loved ones around a table. These are the experiences we return to in memory, long after the decorations are boxed up. The toys, gadgets, or even financial milestones we often chase rarely leave the same warmth behind.

Let’s borrow a page from investing. If happiness were a portfolio, we’d see a spectrum of options: some high-risk, high-reward investments (like chasing a big promotion or splurging on a luxury item) and others that yield steady, meaningful returns. Remember to diversify wisely.

Instead of channeling resources into accumulating more stuff, imagine investing in time. A father who swaps overtime hours for a pillow fight with his kids isn’t just spending time—he’s building a future memory. Much like a smart investor who understands the value of long-term gains, the joy he sows today will keep yielding dividends in smiles and stories for years to come.

The most striking insight is this: we’re not great at predicting what will make us happy. We anticipate that the dream job, the bigger house, or a bank account with more zeros will deliver the ultimate reward, only to discover that happiness works differently.

Hey, It’s not that these goals are bad—it’s just that they’re incomplete. Like snowflakes melting in the palm of your hand, they’re lovely but fleeting. The deeper, lasting happiness comes from the warmth we feel when we give to others, share a laugh, or simply watch snow falling outside on a quiet night.

This Season of giving, I encourage you to pause and notice the moments we might otherwise take for granted. The gift of a conversation with an old friend. The way a child’s face lights up, not just when opening presents, but when they share a story about their day. These are the treasures we often stumble upon, only to later realize how valuable they were all along.

Happiness, like the spirit of Christmas, is about embracing the small, glowing connections that string together our lives. And much like untangling those Christmas lights, it’s in the effort, the care, and the love we pour into these moments that we find joy that lingers.

So, here’s to a season of stumbling—not on fleeting thrills, but on happiness that’s shared, cherished, and, above all, real.

Merry Christmas.

Until the next week, Ciao

Warm Regards

Kavita Bothra

Helping you think thoughts you may not have thought before.