Happiness

The other day, I was talking to a friend; more than talking, I was actually complaining about the hectic life which I lead that makes it humanely impossible for me to do the things that make me happy – like reading, watching a movie in the theatre, etc. To this, my surprised friend looked up and remarked, “But why is it so necessary to be happy?”

I was taken aback as the impact of his question hit me point blank. Why indeed?

It is so difficult to stay focused and be happy at the same time. It is also vital that we stay grounded and feel contentment in whatever we do. Laughter clubs, laughter shows and laughter therapies have mushroomed with alarming proportions; they serve just one purpose – promote happiness. Happiness does seem to add hues to our monotonous lives.

There are a few things that we have to ‘undo’ to make us happy. Instead of trying to ‘fit in’ as we always tend to do, we should focus to align ourselves to our true self. We do not actually need anyone’s approval to belong to this world.

Secondly, working hard will no doubt make us ‘successful’ in the conventional terms of the word. But suppose we concentrate on working ‘smarter’ that working harder – will the joy of experiencing this make us happier? I have a physician friend who is deemed lazy by his wise and well-meaning wife. But he is happy. He attends to a limited number of patients, gives undivided and excellent care to them, and rewards himself with the content smile of his cured patients.

Some people have the tendency to ‘postpone’ being happy to a later date – to the vacations, to the weekends, to the parties…But who has seen tomorrow?

Our dreams are our own responsibility. No one else is going to make them come true for us. A sense of happiness helps us achieve the dreams. Even if we do not achieve them, the journey towards them must be an enjoyable experience.

I wish to be happy, though my matter-of-fact friend seems to have reservations about being so. I am not a noun that what-I-am will actually decide who-I –am. And that is precisely why I want to be happy. There is much more to life than my job description, the money I make and my responsibilities. It is easy to become distraught and lose hope. But I plan to celebrate myself for being me, and be happy. I search for happiness everywhere – “Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets to find you.”