What is happiness?
Is it just wishful thinking?
Does it happen just once in a blue moon?
Many people have already caught themselves trying to find an answer to those questions. My challenge today is to bring out my own impressions about the issue.
We are all acquainted with the misery the world is going through. Natural disaster, hunger, wars, urban violence, disease, unemployment, poverty, corruption, just to mention a few issues. It seems that happiness is something that exists only in fairy tales.
Is it?
My answer to that question is NO. As I see it, each individual is - or should be -responsible for his/her own thoughts and actions. What often happens is that we blame other people, or things that are on the outside, for our misery: I'm unhappy because of my parents/spouse. I'm unhappy because of my job.
It's just so difficult to take responsibility for our own happiness. It seems selfish. It seems the whole world won't accept it. But the point is: happiness depends on us. Almost entirely. It is possible. It is a state of mind, not a temporary feeling.
You may question me: how can I be happy when I hate my job?
Well, let's learn from the great masters. Richard Bach said: "The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.". Or take Voltaire's words: "Works saves us from three great evils: boredom, vice and need.". Learn to love what you do, by noticing how useful it is, or change your job. It depends on you.
How can I be happy if I get sick/ have financial problems?
Try to learn something from the difficulty. Whatever it is, it is always possible to change your point of view about life, or become a better person, or even learn to persist, to be patient, or even to give up.
Anyway, assume the responsibility for your own life. Nobody can make you happy. Nobody can change your life. YOU can do that. YOU can see the glass half full and make the most of every single experience. Take the wise words of the president Barack Obama - YES, WE CAN - and make them work for you.
Happiness is possible. It has ever been. Easier said than done, it's true, but the challenge for each one of us is to learn to do the trick.
Comments
I partially agree with you, Joe
Do cherish what you have, and if there's something you think it is important to achieve, go for it!
Dear all
Thanks for reading my post and for your comments.
Well, I didn't expect it would turn out to be food for thought... I am new here, and it's my first time making up a blog. So, again, thanks for your encouragement.
Wonderful blog and thanks for good advice!
However, it's not always possible to be happy. I know that some people always complaint that the aren't happy, in fact they don't WANT to be happy, no matter what happen. On the other hand, there are many people who try to remain happy and satisfied with what they've got from destiny and hardly complaint.
But in our life time, there happen certain events that make us unhappy, however hard we try. Let's for example take the example of "why people hate their job?". It happens that many a times people are forced to do the jobs that they do no want to do. And it is not always possible for them to start loving that job. That's human nature. You'd say then that they must change their job. But truth is that many times or rather most of times they don't have any alternate option to earn enough to live their lives smoothly. On one hand they couldn't quit their job and on other hand they have no alternate option available.How can one be happy in such a critical situation? I believe, it's virtually impossible.
I don't say that people shouldn't try to be happy, but my point is that it is genuinely hard to be happy all of the time and it's absolutely impossible a few times. As you've written in your blog "Easier said than done". But of course it's my very personal opinion and other people need not to agree with what I've written. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
Any ways, thanks again for this wonderful, thought provoking blog.
Happy New Year and may you be happy always!