Happiness, simply defined is the state of being happy. When we feel good, satisfied and contented with positive thoughts and emotions floating inside then we are happy. Looks so simple, isn’t it? Still if you ask most of the people in this world if they are happy, I suspect the answer would be yes.
On a little vague side, we all fail to realize what happiness actually is. When we get something that we wanted, we start feeling ‘happy’. But then for how many days do we remain in the state of that happiness. We fail to be happy for even a moderate length of period. A kid who wants a toy; gets it and enjoys it. We perceive the kid has become happy. But in reality the kid is not happy rather he or she felt good and achieved a state of happiness for some time only. Sooner his or her toy gets broken or lost, the happiness is gone. Surprisingly, even if the toy is not lost or broken, still he or she starts feeling bored after some time with the old toy and starts looking for a new one.
We adults are also like that kid. We get a toy we always wanted; we pretend to be happy for a small period of time. But we soon lose that state of happiness and start looking for a new toy.
Why there is nothing, which can keep us really happy and happy for a relatively longer period of time? I perceive the reason as what I said in the beginning. The happiness is a state and not an effect. So it cannot be driven or caused by some event or thing or a person. A state is established from inside.
Had happiness been an effect of a cause, two persons with the same cause should have been happy. But, unfortunately that’s not the case. A person who breaks his hand in a road accident feels sad about it, while another person who breaks his hand winning a World Boxing Championship feels happy about it. A thousand bucks make a poor guy happy while a rich guy looking for more doesn't feel happy with this. Why? Because in the second person’s mind the sense of accomplishment prevails more than the pain of broken hand. This implies that the happiness comes from inside. The external factors might only help us reach to that state of happiness; they can’t really make us happy.
If we move one step further, what if we can feel OK or not bad, if not good, when something happens against our liking. As the state of happiness has to come from inside, the state of unhappiness also has to come from inside. What if we can keep sense of a positive and bright future prevailing instead of the negative thoughts occurring due to the bad thing happening. Won’t that help us remain NOT unhappy? Logically it should. Why don’t we try then….?
On a little vague side, we all fail to realize what happiness actually is. When we get something that we wanted, we start feeling ‘happy’. But then for how many days do we remain in the state of that happiness. We fail to be happy for even a moderate length of period. A kid who wants a toy; gets it and enjoys it. We perceive the kid has become happy. But in reality the kid is not happy rather he or she felt good and achieved a state of happiness for some time only. Sooner his or her toy gets broken or lost, the happiness is gone. Surprisingly, even if the toy is not lost or broken, still he or she starts feeling bored after some time with the old toy and starts looking for a new one.
We adults are also like that kid. We get a toy we always wanted; we pretend to be happy for a small period of time. But we soon lose that state of happiness and start looking for a new toy.
Why there is nothing, which can keep us really happy and happy for a relatively longer period of time? I perceive the reason as what I said in the beginning. The happiness is a state and not an effect. So it cannot be driven or caused by some event or thing or a person. A state is established from inside.
Had happiness been an effect of a cause, two persons with the same cause should have been happy. But, unfortunately that’s not the case. A person who breaks his hand in a road accident feels sad about it, while another person who breaks his hand winning a World Boxing Championship feels happy about it. A thousand bucks make a poor guy happy while a rich guy looking for more doesn't feel happy with this. Why? Because in the second person’s mind the sense of accomplishment prevails more than the pain of broken hand. This implies that the happiness comes from inside. The external factors might only help us reach to that state of happiness; they can’t really make us happy.
If we move one step further, what if we can feel OK or not bad, if not good, when something happens against our liking. As the state of happiness has to come from inside, the state of unhappiness also has to come from inside. What if we can keep sense of a positive and bright future prevailing instead of the negative thoughts occurring due to the bad thing happening. Won’t that help us remain NOT unhappy? Logically it should. Why don’t we try then….?
Its so simple!! You practise "not to be unhappy" and that is what will make you happy (Assuming binary logics apply to real world as well :))
ReplyDeleteFully agreed. External factors can not derive happiness rather it has to come from inside.
Truly agreed..
ReplyDeleteAlthough that state of mind is for very less time but that brings a lot of excitement in the life.
To keep that excitement one should have optimistic approach towards the things happening around.
Well said..When we feel like getting happiness its a short time feeling (as u said its a state of mind); But when we derive happiness through our will power,via conscious efforts..its something that lasts long and gives us a sense of ownership towards our own.
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