Happiness is the ultimate goal of all humans. Everyone wants to be happy. Is there anyone who questions this? The eternal bliss. It is what even every animal that thinks & has emotions want. So, we celebrate Happiness Day. International Happiness Day is celebrated on 20th Mar every year. It should be celebrated, because it’s the most sort after emotion.
Rather than giving tips on “how to be happy”, I would like to explain, how we “become” happy. If we start “chasing” anything (here-happiness), this chasing becomes a stress, which doesn’t allow you to be happy. We can’t buy or manipulate happiness. Happiness is a journey and not a destination. We have to understand this fact very clearly.
When we work towards our goals & personal development, do a selfless act of kindness, happiness is a by-product of that.
So, if you understand that nothing external can give you happiness, its your internal mindset which makes you happy or unhappy, you suddenly realize that being happy is in your control & a choice.
Problem is in thoughts, more than in the situation. If you treat the thoughts as clouds, which will eventually pass away, how much ever we resist. What happens when we resist is , “what you resist persists”, so the thoughts make situation more difficult & last for longer time, affecting both your health and happiness.
Next time in a situation, just pause & be mindful, i.e.; focus on your breath & don’t let the thoughts overpower you. After sometime a few seconds to minutes only, you will realize that the elephant (here, a metaphor for emotions) which you were going to mount on & which would take you “for a ride”. You climb down and save yourself from a lot of stress, becoming happy in the process. So next time when a situation comes which seems very disturbing to you, just remember “They are only clouds, not the whole sky”.
This in no way means that we should ignore issues or suppress emotions, because the issues will get stored in your conscious or sub-conscious & emotions in your body. Rather we deal with the situation in a more rationale way staying in the present moment. We don’t worry & get anxious. This state of mind will keep us calm; peaceful & thus we will be happy.
“The mind is a good slave, BUT a bad master”.
Dr HK Bedi
MD Psychiatry
M-8054088993. Email- [email protected]
