In the beginning of 2014, I was struggling. One of the most common events in life is breaking up with someone you cared for a lot, and you feel how unfortunate it was that so many mistakes were made and that there were still so many unresolved feelings in your heart. I learned a great deal through that experience. I found myself being consistently reminded about what the important things in life were, and I found myself learning how to use my emotions and thoughts and not fear them, and I found myself changing and becoming a better person.

There was one particular day in the middle of the spring in 2014 where I was reminded about this important principle, and that is that we all need to take time to enjoy those things that make us happy. I planned on meeting up with one of my closest friends and his wife at the gym (one of the simple things I enjoy in my life is my one hour I have to myself at the gym, the weights, and my goals). As I got there, I saw my buddy’s wife, and she told me that she drove the car because she didn’t want to ride in the back of my buddy’s new motorcycle. As I heard her say that, I became ecstatic.

My friend had been telling me for years how much he wanted a motorcycle, and I couldn’t believe the day came when he finally had it! His wife and I went outside to anxiously wait for this man who became a kid again after buying himself his favorite toy, and at the sound of every motorcycle we’d turn to verify if it was him or not.

And then…there was the noise of the new Yamaha motorcycle. My friend speeded through the parking lot, and as he was stopping right next to us, he kept yelling, “Bash, I did it! I got it! Look!” I couldn’t help but laugh and smile hysterically, because you could feel the energy radiating off this big muscular man on his new toy, his first motorcycle. He took off his helmet, and I had not seen a smile that big in a long time.

He was so happy, and during that moment of watching him smile and give his wife this enormous hug, I became happy. I started realizing that we all need to take time to do things that make us feel good. For example, riding a motorcycle has a profound impact on mood and happiness. Doing exercise has profound impact on mood and happiness. Enjoying time with loved ones, enjoying music, dancing, all of these things can make us immensely happy. But whatever it is that makes us extremely happy, we need to make sure we make time to do it. As we do so, and as we become immensely happy, that happiness radiates unto others, and through that, ours happiness frees others towards their own happiness, just like my friend’s happiness that day made me extremely happy.

If you want a new Yamaha motorcycle, get yourself one. Just make sure you get the Koda Key to save your paint job.