In quest of happiness

To quote from one of my favourite books, ‘Daddy Long Legs’: “It isn’t the big troubles in life that require character. Anybody can rise to a crisis and face a crushing tragedy with courage, but to meet the petty hazards of the day with a laugh – that requires spirit”. If one is able to go through each day with the same vigour and enthusiasm then he has conquered life. He lives life as it comes and is not worried much about the petty issues that keep troubling him each day. Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its strength. If we keep on worrying about the challenges that keep coming in different forms then there is no end to it. I have come to realize that a person with such a disposition towards life can only become a sorrowful soul who spends his life learning to be unhappy.

Many busy and successful people do not have time to worry. They have structured their lives in such a way that they keep doing what they like to do and try to work out solutions to problems each time rather than sitting and hatching eggs on their own problems. In my interactions with different people I have observed that the most positive minded people are those who are in constant search of finding solutions to their problems. Those who are able to do this are the ones who march ahead in life and also get along with people well. Who will not like the company of optimistic people? These people also do not tend to procrastinate and do not keep things pending. One such person is my husband who always finds solutions to problems and believes in taking action rather than worrying about problems. He also never puts even day to day activities to a later date. He gets up early even on weekends and goes about his routine. Such kind of discipline in a sense goes a long way in managing life more effectively.

I have met people who never sit idle and keep on doing some or the other work. This way, they get so tired at the end of the day that they get a good sound sleep. You do not have to do anything extra-ordinary to get a good sleep at the end of the day. If you like whatever you are doing however simple it may be, then you are happy. Even if one does not like what he or she is doing but does it naturally with a sense of duty and not a sense of burden, such a person could be happy and contended. I remember having read in one of my school textbooks that a poor person has a more sound sleep than a king as he is not worried about his riches which he need to guard against theft. Sometimes having minimum desires and means to acquire it may also result in one being satisfied in life.

I am not a good cook and I find cooking a boring chore. But I have seen many women who love cooking and take real pleasure cooking good delicious food for their family. They find happiness in this daily chore and do it with a sense of pleasure for having brought happiness to others. Many women go out of their way to prepare good food in their homes. They try different recipes, go to cooking classes and make such efforts to bring the cheer in their own homes. Even though I do not fall in this category of women, I do admire the vigour and enthusiasm of such women. Even a simple chore, as routine as cooking, can bring satisfaction and contentment not just to oneself, but to your near and dear ones.

I have read in a book titled ‘In pursuit of happiness’ that happiness is not something to be pursued; it should ensue. One who goes in pursuit of happiness is like having an eye on the destination without stopping to enjoy the journey of life. I wonder many times why do most people remain depressed and unhappy thinking about what they could not achieve or what they could not become while failing to observe the many good things that may in fact be happening in their lives. It is rightly said you should count your blessings. It does not mean one should not have any ambitions or goals in life but to not unnecessarily brood over things if certain things do not materialise the way it was initially planned. It is very essential in this fast paced life to move on, to keep going. Without crossing the worst situations, one cannot touch the best corners of life. Happiness is the delicate balance between what one is and what one has. If you wait to be happy you will wait forever. But if you start to be happy you will be happy forever.