(On the occasion of the International Day of Happiness (20 March) declared by the United Nations)
Being happy and content is the biggest challenge that most of us face today. With so much advanced technology around us, yet none of us have found the formula to be happy and that too all the time. So, what does happiness actually mean? Well! To put it simply, to be happy is to be free of sorrow, worry and fear. And this can be easily achieved with truth, courage and faith. Doesn’t it sound simple? Practically speaking, Happiness is not a big thing as it is made out to be. We need to understand simply that when we are not performing good, righteous actions, the return of that is what we experience – “Sorrow”. Similarly, when we worry all the time, we are simply unable to perform good actions and again what we experience is “Sorrow”. Let’s understand this with a simple example. Most of us try and help those who are less privileged than us Right? So, before performing an action to help a needy person, we get a thought and feeling within us that we want to help someone. Now, this thought itself brings happiness within us, even before we have put it to action, how? Simply because when our mind is engaged in something good it is automatically healed and we feel good inside.
Most of us are in a stage of worry all the time. Why? Because we can‘t get “Detached” from everything around us. YES! It is our own attachment to the people, objects and property that causes sorrow within us. If we practise the art of detachment, we would experience deep love and peace from within. If there are thoughts of attachment, we will not enjoy ourself from within, because there will always be the feeling that something is wrong and we will feel confused and afraid all the time, instead of feeling happy. It’s a medically proven fact that those who think too much are always in a state of confusion and easily get disturbed. Such people are like caged bird who is always unhappy and craves for liberation. Whereas those who are free birds, they do not think much about trivial matters and hence they get detached easily. When at one end of the scale there are negative thoughts of giving and taking sorrow and at the other end, there are positive thoughts of accepting and giving happiness, peace and love, what would you choose? So, let there be a feeling of a connection of happiness between you and others, let there be love and friendship in your interactions with everyone. Because life is too short to waste on small small worries. Remember! Happiness gained through relationships and possessions has seeds of sorrow because they are sown with expectations that stem from greed, selfishness, attachment or ego. Hence before getting yourself involved in anything, we need to ask ourselves – “Will this bring me happiness?”.
In today’s fast-moving world, we have also unknowingly connected happiness with achievement, comparison and approval from others. We often believe we will be happy when something happens , when we earn more, when we are appreciated, when things go our way. But true happiness does not come with such conditions. It is a choice we make daily through the quality of our thoughts and the maturity of our responses. A peaceful mind is not the result of a perfect life, but of a trained and stable perspective. We also need to learn the simple art of pausing. A few moments of silence during the day, a little gratitude for what is going right, and acceptance for what is not, can gradually transform our inner state. Many times, happiness quietly hides in ordinary moments like, a kind word, a genuine smile, helping someone without expecting recognition, or even having the strength to remain calm when things do not go our way. These are the small but powerful victories of the soul that often go unnoticed.
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The biggest secret to happiness is to have good wishes and pure feelings in our heart for everyone, no matter who they are, whether friends or foes, and even if they have defamed us in the worst way. When we hold pure, good wishes in the heart for others, we can maintain a state of constant happiness. Because, good feelings are like a bouquet of flowers in our heart that spreads its fragrance inside and keeps us happy, no matter how bad the situation outside is. We need to go within ourselves to tap the eternal source of happiness and for that firstly we need to be true to the self, know the self and be the self. Once we have understood the happiness that comes from within and as a result of the manner in which we conduct our lives, and ourselves then it is possible to understand how to share that happiness with others. Remember! increasing the happiness of others brings happiness to the self. So, keep distributing it to everyone, as this is the wealth that multiplies by giving, and brings the giver the added bonus of the good wishes and blessings of others. Let us also remember that happiness increases when we stop being too critical of ourselves. Accept your imperfections, learn from your mistakes and continue your journey with self-respect. A happy person is not someone who has everything perfect, but someone who keeps their intentions pure and their heart light. When our intentions are clean and our conscience is clear, happiness stops being something we chase and slowly becomes our natural way of living.