Happiness is a matter of choice and independent of others, fate or forces beyond our control, says Jai Madaan
Are you happyIJ It’s quite a difficult question to answer straightaway indeed. How about this oneIJ ‘Do you think you would be happy if you were the richest, the most good-looking, and the most popular person in the worldIJ’ According to me, money, beauty, and popularity have little to do with happiness which you wouldn’t expect.
Aren’t we living this life to be happier everyday. We keep goals to achieve so we can be happy. We pick our partners who could keep us happy. We take up a job to pay our bills to be happy. We are living just to be happy then why aren’t we happy alwaysIJ
Here is how Wikipedia defines happiness. Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
I couldn’t agree more with the definition of happiness to be a mental or emotional state of well-being. It’s truly just a state of mind! Does that mean we can change our mindset to be happy at any time we likeIJ Psychologists who study happiness believe we can pursue happiness. We can do this by thwarting negative emotions such as pessimism, resentment, and anger. And we can foster positive emotions, such as empathy, serenity, and especially gratitude. There are thousands of motivational speakers across the world who keep stressing on this single fact that to be happy we need to choose to be happy! Characterised by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
We act as if our happiness depends on others, on fate, or on forces beyond our control. As a result we fail to see how wonderful our life is right now, today. Pin your hopes on the future and you’ll miss your chance. Of all the things we need to deal with in our lives, time can be the hardest to get a handle on.
Obviously, the past is that which has already occurred. But that’s both something that happened 30 years ago and something that happened 30 seconds ago. Happiness is a state of mind, not a goal. The life you want is here, now, waiting for you to grab it.
Too many of us spend our lives planning and hoping and dreaming about how wonderful our life would be...if only we got a promotion, met the right person, or inherited some money.
But this is an illusion. It may look clear and inviting, but it never actually arrives. When you look to the future for your happiness, you guarantee you’ll never be happy. Focus on the present. It’s the experience of living, not remembering or hoping. let’s say you’re sitting in a theater, watching a great movie or play, or you’re in a concert hall, listening to a wonderful performance. You’re not thinking of the drive home or what you’ll eat for dinner. You’re in the moment. Bring that approach to life and you’ll achieve contentment. I’m not saying you shouldn’t plan for tomorrow. Short and long-term planning is prudent.
I believe that includes deciding when to start a family as much as calculating when to ask for a raise, or determining how much to save and invest for when you get older and your earned income drops. But there is a huge difference between planning for the future and living in it.
You can’t count on the future to provide or be the environment that offers you happiness or satisfaction you currently lack. That’s a critical mistake.We live in a world of endless stimulation.
Between movies, video games and the Internet, something exciting is always going on. Sometimes, this makes us feel bored and restless when we run out of stuff to do. If you want to be happy, overcome this addiction. Develop the ability to enjoy life in its entirety, even when the stimulation stops.
Appreciate the sky you see on your way to work each day. Cherish each moment you spend with the people you love. Savour every bite of food you get to eat. Enjoying every experience will give you many new reasons to be happy.