Several times this question popped up in my head...what is true happiness? Of course the answer is subjective but is it really? When are we really happy? ...When we were kids? Even then we had reasons to cry, to shout, to feel bad...When we get the love of our life? Feeling of bliss ..yes...When we hold a baby in our arms for the first time... feeling of eternal joy...so true isn't it?..When our sibling succeeds after long long struggle...tears of joy...when we lie in our mom's lap...feeling of relief and reassurance...when we hear our dad say...iam there, don't worry...feeling blessed...when relatives support us in ways which are unimaginable....feeling grateful..... when we hear ourselves through the waves of the ocean...feeling true discovery..........when your young one helps you decorate for Diwali....feels amazing!... when you are appreciated at office...feels empowered....when people make you feel inclusive..feeling of acceptance!.. when you did something kind to someone....feeling of true power .....when you shared laughter with friends...feeling of freedom...........is there really a limit to the sources of happiness that we are surrounded by? Thank God there is not! God has given us endless reasons and opportunities to be happy...
Even then why do we get sad.....is it the circumstance, is it our choice...is it a combination of both...may be...in fact yes....it is indeed a combination of both...
But how are our choices made? What factors govern them? I kept wondering...
And then I read a book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". I wouldn't say it changed my life but it did help me understand some very important things about myself and all of us. It helped me understand what makes me who Iam and what is it that controls how I feel about things.
I do recommend everyone to read it and try to extract the one thing that will help you all. This is again subjective. I found some of my answers in this book and my quest for more answers is still on. But at least now I know why I need not be unhappy in a particular circumstance even though logically I should be completely unhappy and miserable! Difficult to understand...right?...iam struggling to write it myself :P
So, the mind says "You should feel bad because bad things are happening to you". But if you know yourself, you know your true priorities, your principles, you might tell your mind.."do these things really matter in the paradigm that you have designed for yourself? if they don't, then how can they be good or bad? And you relieve yourself out of this mind trap of feeling sad.And the power that you feel next is ecstasy!
In my childhood, I used to feel that I can help people solve their problems...I may have actually helped them too because I believed too much in my capability at that time. I used to feel that I can understand them and connect to them...and I did too at times! But very recently I had started to feel ..do I really know myself? Do I really understand myself? Do I know what makes me happy and what makes me sad.....And for the first time I was unable to connect to my inner self..when I had everything perfectly moving my way!....What a dilemma? isn't it? And was I happy in this situation..No!
So, again what is true happiness.....I have figured out lately for myself that knowing yourself truly is true happiness....Knowing that what makes you happy and what makes you sad and acknowledging it to yourself and accepting your own self as it is and being aware of who you truly are is true happiness! Knowing and understanding your own guiding principles and the reasons behind them brings you true peace of mind and security. And anything that comes your way gives you happiness or sadness based on who you truly are!
At the end of the day I can say, happiness is also in the moment. Like this moment, Iam happy because I am able to write what I feel in this blog.
So, find your true happiness or I would rather say find ways to find your true happiness. Those who seek shall find! :)
Have a Happy Life Ahead!
