The power of vulnerability and the secrets of happiness

Lately, I've been feeling quite troubled by a couple of things. Typically, I would relate these problems to my friends and seek advice from them. Alternatively, I would source for self help guide books which may provide new perspectives on the issue. While working on my Valentine's day gift, I've decided to give Ted Talk a shot, hoping that I will find some answers to my confused mind. 

How can I increase my base level of happiness?

This is one question that has been going through my head ever since I realised I've been feeling disappointed over trivial things over the past month. A couple of years ago, I read about how all we have to increase our happiness is to increase the base level so that no matter how low we feel, it will never fall below a particular threshold. 

On Ted Talk, Shawn Anchor spoke about the happy secret to better work, debunking the myth that our external world is predictive of our happiness. He says: 90% of your long term happiness is not predicted by your external world, but by how your brain processes the external world

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

Melbourne - It's a different summer here.

Last December, my family and I travelled to Melbourne for 5 days. Melbourne is a really compact city and it’s easy to travel via trams or by foot. I could not help but fall in love with this beautiful city which is known for its cafes and eye-catching art displays.

Driving through the Great Ocean Road

One of the must visit natural attraction in Melbourne is the stunning Great Ocean Road. We rented a car from Hertz on the first day and drove out on the second to catch a glimpse of the 12 Apostles. It is about a 3 hour drive from the city and you can stop by certain towns like Torquay or Apollo Bay to rest in between.

One of the many amazing lookout points

Those were the days of fun and laughter

We hardly stopped by at any of the lookout points so I took most of my photos of the journey in the car, turned out alright because the car windscreen was really clean.

It is such a long stretch I wished I could capture it in its entirety. 

My initial plan was to stop over at Apollo Bay but we stopped for lunch in a nice café at Torquay instead. The weather that afternoon was pleasantly nice-- the sun was shining, and a cool sea breeze was blowing inland.It was about 4.30pm or so when we reached the 12 Apostles Helicopter Flight Centre. I suppose you could take a Helicopter to get a bird's eye view of the place but most tourists went on foot and headed for the lookout point. The weather became quite chilly by then, especially compounded by the sea breeze. Erratic weather is also something which Melbourne is known for so if you head there in summer be always prepared for a sudden drop in temperature and pack a windbreaker or two. 

Entrance to Twleve Apostles lookout point. Takes a short walk to get to the peak of the lookout but it's definitely worth it.

The Apostles really remind me of the Grand Canyon, albeit much smaller and they form interesting sillhouettes.

A lone Apostle withstanding the strong currents. This also features the breathtaking horizon, which you would get an endless view of as you drive along The Great Ocean Road.

The other side of the lookout point. It looks like the big rock is talking to the small one.
Big rock: Hey Small Rock, looking good today.
Small Rock: Yup, as always, I've got all the ladies taking shots of me.
Big rock: Nah, they'll notice me first cos I'm bigger and harder.
Small Rock: (sighs) Whatever.
-LOL-