Happiness is that state of mind where negativity is banished, optimism exudes and one easily finds a reason no matter what, to remain cheerful. A simple test to the relative happiness quotient is truthfully answering the question ‘Do I suffer from Monday morning blues?’ If you can be as cheerful on a Monday morning as you are on a weekend, be sure you are blessed with abundant happiness.
However the vast majority reading this would say ‘I ain’t so lucky; so what is the secret to being happy?’ So here goes…
See the positives No matter what the situation, there is a positive and a negative side to it. Focus on the positives. Unfortunately most of us are inclined to see the negatives partly due to force of habit, sometimes due to our jealous nature and occasionally because we limit our imagination. E.g. A student getting 99/100 can either enjoy his/ her success or can keep brooding over how/where/why that 1 mark was lost. There are positives even in extreme situations like failure/ death/ illness etc. but we have to imaginatively identify those positives and then happiness won’t be far behind.
Manage your thoughts Some of us are extremely imaginative in seeing the worst case scenario. These people can spot a problem in every opportunity; they can rattle of a dozen reasons why something positive can’t happen and they can use their vivid imagination to make a mountain out of a molehill. E.g. You suddenly discover that your mobile phone is missing. Even as you frantically search, your mind has conjured up visions of never finding it, the possibility that someone has robbed it, the probability that anyone who finds it will not return it and quite often extreme frustration at ones on carelessness. Assuming that you find that mobile, instead of being really happy, a new set of questions would pop up. How did it fall of? Did it fall off or did someone try to pinch it unsuccessfully? If I didn’t find it all my contacts would have been lost; I would have to buy a new phone if I didn’t find it etc would be added thoughts that would puncture the happiness of having located the missing mobile phone.
Invest in relationships A good incubator of happiness is the society around you, the people you interact with and you being accessible, social and helpful. Relationships offer support, comfort and motivation essential ingredients to foster a happy environment. E.g. when there is a tragedy in the form of illness or death or failure happiness is hard to come by. Yet with the outpouring of concern, care and consolation, happiness is ignited much faster even if the grief takes a while to be overcome.
Live don’t merely exist Don’t just be creatures of habits. The vast majority of salaried employees follow the dictum 2 punches (attendance) and one lunch. Quiz these people on how life is and invariably the reply will be tinged with boredom, frustration, exasperation, irritation and indifference. Those who do not value their lives and make it count would always find life too tough, very hard to bear and extremely boring. The trick is making life interesting by being more open to ideas, attempting the challenging, taking calculated risks and doing things differently. E.g. Give in to your inner craving and just do it. My blog is an outcome of such a whim and if you have read so far it is proof that I haven’t wasted my time. My happiness is in having so many of you engrossed and engaged in my writing. So when are you going to find the happiness in your passion?
Enjoy the moment The London Olympics 2012 are just a few months away. Some athletes and sportsmen have made the cut. Others have fallen by the way. The more unlucky ones have been waylaid by injury. Yet even the ones who do not make it to the Olympics will still actively engage in their sport for they have learnt to enjoy every moment of their lives. E.g. Even as I am writing this I am acutely aware that I haven’t written for over 2 weeks. This long hiatus has also dulled my enthusiasm, dried up my creative juices and has made writing this post a tad more tough. Yet, I am reveling in the reality that I have not lost my touch and I have put behind all the difficulties that impeded my regular output. Hopefully the happiness at being able to indulge in my passion is evident in this post.
Action Points:
- Can you find something unique in the way the title/ heading of each paragraph was developed? The big secret to happiness is hidden in the way the paragraph headings were developed.
- List out 3 situations where you would be most happy. Have you experienced any of these situations?
- Name an object, thing, place, animal and person that immediately conjures up a happy image for you. Why do you think the said name evokes such happiness for you?
- Write in to [email protected] and share with us the joke / anecdote that thrills you to bits. If there are sufficient responses I could compile the best ones and share it with the readers through this blog and you can take pride in the fact that you did your bit to spread happiness too.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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