SECRET OF HAPPINESS

“Let happiness be with you forever!!!” Does this sound like a boon given to you??? All of us would wish this boon to happen throughout our life. But the truth is that most of us stop only with wishing for it. We would have noticed that some people are always happy no matter whatever the situation is. Their presence would always enlighten the whole atmosphere wherever they are. We might name them as extroverts or optimists or lucky folks or cool heads. But, what so ever is the name, have we ever thought ‘how is that possible for them to be happy and light always when we are not able to do it?’ The answer is very simple. To be happy all you have to do is start living in the present by applying the below 5 thumb rules:

• Watching your thoughts – Eliminate worries about past and future
• Gratitude – Count your blessings and the favours you enjoy from others
• Hope – Positive attitude
• Choose to be happy – Irrespective of the situation
• Love – Yourself, what you do and all people around you

Our thoughts will lead our life. Mind does not know whether the thought is positive or negative nor it is programmed to execute only selected thoughts. In the current scenario, “Worry” has become a habit for most of us. We not only stop with worrying but also share them with others and make others also to worry. Even children are taught to worry as parents build their expectations and anxiousness on them. Almost every moment we either keep worrying about the spilt milk (past) or the eggs yet to be hatched (future). Worrying will result in stagnation of our thoughts and also accumulation of more and more forms of negative energy in us. Thus at any point of time it is very essential to cut out any negative thought when it starts peeping out itself.

When asked to count the number of happy moments experienced in a month, the number would normally be a distinct one digit for most of us. On the other hand, when asked to count the number of times we had been worrying about something, probably that would go on till infinity and for some it could also include the present moment. Most of the times any devastating loss through people/situations of the past will make us worry the most. Those are the times where we have to start counting the number of blessings we have in the present. We need to be grateful for even one good that we have achieved through the person or the event that we consider the loss from. “Past” is to be considered only as a reference in order to either learn or build confidence that we have already crossed it safe or to recollect the sweet memories and gain momentum in the present life. All we have to understand is that whatever happens to us that are not under our permissible condition is for our good and we will later understand why that had happened. The more you start noting the blessings you have and the more the gratitude you show to the people who help you and do some good for you in the past or in the day to day life, you are attracting more and more positive energy in your thoughts. Gratitude has immense power. Thank for you woke up well in the morning, thank that you have reached your workplace on time. Thank your friend for accompanying you for a coffee break; thank your mom/wife for having prepared a hearty food. Thank for each good experience you get. This will enhance your positive energy and give more and more happiness to you and people around you.

Once a man asked God” If everything is written in fate then why to pray or work towards what we want to achieve?” God smiled and said” Probably at many instances I would have just written ‘AS YOU WISH’ ”. Our “Future” exactly depends on what we think about and do now. Be it in terms of your career or relationship or health. There is a saying "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. The good happening will take care of itself." ~ Epictetus. Accepting the present situation and doing what we can do with all the hope that we will succeed will eliminate any uncertainty about the future and bring about whatever good is in store for us. Just note down what you really want to have and write down a gratitude note imagining that you have already achieved what you want and keep reading it or telling it in your mind whenever possible. Then continue doing what you have to do to achieve it and the miracle will happen absolutely because of your thought power and positive attitude. This will work for any small to big hope of yours be it in career or relationship or health.

Apart from the past and future situations, another challenge is the situation in the present. In our day to day life we come across many situations/people we consider unfavourable to us. Our happiness is mostly controlled or rather stolen through these so considered unfavourable situations/people. Any situation becomes unfavourable mostly because it does not match with our expectation. What we consider as unfavourable would sometimes be the most favourable for others. However most of these situations can be handled through the principle of “Why Not” and “acceptance”. Eg: Your friend might hate talking during work whereas you enjoy talking and working. So, whenever you talk to her during work, she insults you which make you feel bad. In this case being without talking is not going to affect you in anyway and you might well as enjoy your work through other means, then you can adopt the “why not” principle. Whenever there is no foreseen risks, the “why not” principle can be adopted that will bring about an out of the box solution. However the situation is, all we have to do is to stay calm for some time and believe that even the most complex situation would have a simple solution. This would invoke the power of acceptance in us and help in getting the most appropriate solution for that situation.

Above all, happiness is complete only with this key component of love added to whatever you do for yourself and to all people around you. Create a purpose that involves happiness of one another person at least apart from you, for whatever you are doing. This will help you carry out your job with utmost joy and your fullest capability. Love grows through smile and appreciation. To give love to yourself give yourself more and more experiences that would make you smile and start appreciating your efforts. Similarly, to grow your love to all people around you, you will have to give more and more smiling and appreciation experiences to them and which is why it is essential to love others the way they want to be loved. Seeing smiling faces around us will always kindle our inner strength and help experience happiness to the fullest.The more you keep smiling and appreciating, the more the love and happiness flows through you.

All of us are born with the freedom to be happy and all we have to do is to keep our happiness lit up always which in turn would light the happiness of others too.