How fortunate are we…

I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet. Ancient Persian saying

Look around and you will find a hundred things to be grateful for but most times we are bitterly complaining, comparing and cursing our fate simply because we do not get what we want. As human beings we have the yoke of the seven deadly sins of Lust, Anger, Pride, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony and Greed. Each of these sins provokes the human mind to visualize images of having the second best or noting at all and therein lies the bane of the human race; our envy of others, our feeling of dissatisfaction and our propensity to rave and rant about the unfairness of life.

On the other hand if we consciously look out for people who are contented with life, you will find that almost all of them sport a smile, they are simply happy to be blessed with whatever they have and they have no materialistic desires or cravings. Study them from close quarters and we also realize that their happiness stems from their contentment and joy they experience by whole heartedly embracing the bounty they are blessed with. The issue that often worries us is that many of them seem to be in far worse of position than our own and yet they seem to be in a perpetual state of bliss. We cannot comprehend how those who have far lesser than us who are always cribbing can find so much of riches in their own life. Ironically their happiness and contentment make us more frustrated that they are happy and we are not.

Instead one must seek out how and why those less fortunate than us can live in peace happiness and contentment. The secret lies in their mindset and their attitude. Anyone who is happy has first of all decided to be happy. No matter what the circumstances they make it a point to see something to cheer about, something to warm their cockles and keep their spirits up. The next thing they consciously do is be grateful for whatever they have. Even if they have an illness they are grateful that it is nothing more serious. If they have lost something, they would be grateful that the loss is limited. The one thing they don’t do is compare what others have with they own possessions. This enables them to avoid feelings of envy, jealously, frustration etc. It also enables them to understand their own requirements better and aspire only for what they really need and therefore limit their wants and desires and quite often attaining it and thereby managing to live in a perennial state of happiness.

We too can change our mindset and adopt these practices. The first step is to realize that those who are happy are stress free for they have nothing really to worry about. Being stress free automatically improves our health, self belief and attitude. This must be followed up with the practices of appreciating the many blessings we get each day. It could be the pleasure of a bright lovely morning, the aroma of a hearty breakfast, the boisterous and carefree shouts of children at play or the success of a venture or a personal agenda. Obviously the toughest test to pass is a conscious decision not to be envious or frustrated at another’s wealth, possessions or successes. We must when such temptations lure us, remember that if we succumb then it is essential that we also compare the burdens, trials and tribulations of the other person too. After all no one ever lives on a bed of roses perennially. The happiest person too carries his own cross and personal burden and his happiness is despite these woes that he has to shoulder. Are our problems, troubles or woes as bad as what many others go through?

Remember: “Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

Try this:

Can you make a list of 5 things that you desperately craved for in your growing up years but were denied it. Can you think of reasons why you were denied it? On hindsight did those denials affect your life in any major way?
You are in the hot seat in the game ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ / Kon Banega Crorepati. You have Rs,50 lakhs and have to attempt the question to get Rs. 1 crore with no lif lines left. If you lose you go back with just Rs.3,20,000. However if you win, you get an additional life line for the Rs.5 crore prize which is a roll of the dice. Here for the Rs.5 crore prize, a dice with 4 numbers is rolled and the number appearing will be matched with the answer on the corresponding box. If it is the right answer you get the prize of Rs.5 crores straight away. However if it is wrong then that answer is eliminated and you have to choose from the reaming 3 answers only. Would you attempt the Rs.1 crore question with a great chance of winning the Rs.5 crore prize or take the Rs.50 lakh prize and quit the game ?

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com