Essay on Happiness - A few days back, I came across an article, that a person has significant achievements in life, and has all the essent...
Essay on Happiness -
A few days back, I came across an article, that a person has significant achievements in life, and has all the essential comforts of life, but still, he says I am not happy, What should I do to become happy? where could I find true happiness? So, in today's stressful life, many people may face the same situation of being unhappy, because it is not a commodity that one can go to any shop and buy it. Happiness is not a matter of the outside but it must be felt from inside. It basically lies on an emotional level and as such it has no proven or calculated concept, because it may vary from person to person, but still we are going to try some possible ways to become happy.
Happiness is a concept that has been debated and studied by philosophers, psychologists, and researchers for centuries. It is an emotional state that is characterized by positive feelings, contentment, and satisfaction with life. The pursuit of happiness is one of the most important goals for human beings, and many people strive to find ways to increase their happiness. We expect that our day should end with a feeling of happiness but few are lucky to have it Unfortunately many of us do not find this divine quality of happiness. In this essay, we will explore the definition of happiness, the origin of happiness, ways to improve happiness, reasons why some people are not happy even though they have everything, ways to keep happiness throughout life, and finally, conclude with some thoughts on happiness.
Definition of Happiness-
Happiness is a positive emotional state that is characterized by feelings of joy, contentment, and satisfaction. It is a subjective experience that can vary from person to person, and it can be influenced by a range of factors such as genetics, environment, work pattern, attitude, thought process, priorities of life, economy, desire, and life experiences. Some experts define happiness as a long-term state of well-being that encompasses positive emotions, engagement, and meaning in life. We all must have experienced that sometimes we feel happy or sad without any solid reason. Happiness is the consequence of all the acts we do in the present or past.
Origin of Happiness-
The origins of happiness are complex and multifaceted. Some experts believe that happiness is partly genetic, with studies suggesting that up to 50% of happiness is determined by our genes. Other factors that contribute to happiness include environmental factors, such as socioeconomic status, social support, and access to resources. Life experiences, such as relationships, work, and personal accomplishments, also play a role in shaping our happiness levels.
Ways to Improve Happiness-
There are many ways to improve happiness, and some of the most effective methods include:
Cultivating gratitude: Focusing on the things we are grateful for can help shift our perspective and increase our overall sense of well-being. In our daily routine, we use so many things, like the food we eat, the water we drink, the people we meet, and even lifeless objects such as a bike, a car, etc, we never pay our gratitude to them or never say thanks to them. It may appear childish, but just give it a try to say thank you to your car when you come back home safe and sound from a long drive, Thank you very much my car you brought me home safely. When we say this to our car, our feelings change, we look to our car as a human being or a true friend, and by saying that we feel happy, before going to bed we must thank god by saying, Thank you for the joy and happiness you gave me today, or thank you for today's joy, or simply we can say that, "Thank you, God, you made my day, and bless me same for tomorrow. Saying thank you and paying gratitude brings joy to our life.
Building strong relationships: Positive social connections with family, friends, and romantic partners are crucial for happiness. Actually, relationships are the driving force of our life, they strengthen faith, belief, care, affection, and love in one's life. If our bonding, commitment, and character are on an emotional edge, it could bring happiness to our life, and it is simply because we spend our maximum time in the company of dear ones and their company must be our strength to pursue happiness.
Pursuing meaningful work: Engaging in work that is personally meaningful and fulfilling can increase our sense of purpose and satisfaction. Here, we can categorize work patterns into two types, first what we do to earn a livelihood, and second for the noble cause of happiness. Let's talk about the first one, we must love our job, here I would like to give an example of myself, by profession, I am a teacher when I make a due effort in the classroom to explain any complex fundamentals and if it brings a smile of satisfaction on the faces of my students, I feel happy, and if by chance, students may express the feeling of some confusion, I feel sad, meaning I haven't given my 100 percent in the classroom, so I feel sad, and inspires me to do more hard work to make my students happy because my happiness largely depends on their happiness. So, giving the best brings contentment and satisfaction which in turn makes us happy.
The second category could be some charity, donation, help, good advice, feeding stray animals, making arrangements of water for birds, plantation, watering the plants, or it may anything that could give comfort to the needy one, always gives a great level of satisfaction and joy to life. The simple way to pursue this practice is to ask ourselves, "Have I done something worthy to comfort somebody? and we could find a number of ways to do this excellent habit. At any time, we are of course in a position to spend 2-5 % of our income. On many occasions, we don't need to spend any money, to help a person or a child cross the road, help to board a train or a plane, remove garbage from the road, cleanliness, good and timely advice to needy one, explain any process, proper guidance to reach the destination, so we can find the number of ways to help and comfort. Because it is believed that God helps everybody, and when we help somebody, we are actually performing the task of God and we feel contented.
In covid-19, one personality known as Sonu Sood, a film actor in the Bollywood industry came up as a human being to solve the problems of the people who were suffering a lot because of severe lockdown during the period, whether it is to make arrangements for a bus for thousands of people who got stuck in a particular destination in the lockdown period, supplying food and medicines to needy ones and so on. During that period, nobody wanted to go out of their home, and he was busy solving the problems of suffering people courageously and happily, and now he is running a foundation to help people. I think, he must be the happiest person and the reason behind this is simple, he is selflessly helping people.
Helping the needy and sufferers always brings happiness to us, and there is no other wisdom or divine quality than helping the cause. There are many people who are very rich like Bill Gates and every year he is donating part of his income to a social and noble cause because bringing an innocent smile to a crying face is the best human quality and it brings us true happiness.
Engaging in physical activity: Regular exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness, and it may be in any form like cycling, gymming, jogging, swimming, playing any sports or games, gardening, or any work that indulges physical activities. The feeling of fitness or physical well-being always makes us happy As per the saying, Sound mind always lies in the sound body. Excellent physical level brings contentment, energy, stamina, and a positive attitude to our life.
Practicing mindfulness: Mindfulness practices such as meditation and deep breathing can help us stay present and increase our sense of calm and contentment. Yes, these activities play a vital role in our well-being. Meditation smoothens our state of mind as it prohibits the crowding of millions of negative thoughts and gives a new perspective on life on the other hand, deep breathing has numerous and limitless benefits because the main cause of all diseases is lack of oxygen and deep breathing makes our body fully oxygenated and keeps away many negative emotions such as anger, lust, excess desire, or any kind of negative feelings, as it also smoothens our state of mind and we feel calm and peacefulness. It can be practically proved, for example, if we feel stressed or under pressure for any known or unknown reasons, just by taking a number of deep breaths, we can rectify our mood, and in turn, we feel happy.
Spirituality: It is believed that people who are spiritual are happier than people who do not believe in God, because of the feeling of protection in any adverse condition of life. Bowing a head in front of the almighty God makes us humble, peaceful, and harmless. But it does not mean that people who are theists are not happy, it may differ from person to person and his thought process. We can put it in another way, one must have a strong belief and faith in anything it may be God, a person, a relative, or even any lifeless object, but a strong faith in anything brings the feeling of support, protection, and happiness.
Satisfaction: A person should be satisfied with what he has, otherwise the list of wants is endless, as we can not give full-stop to our desires that come one after another. Many times we bother about the things that we really do not need but still, we get frustrated and become unhappy. The main cause behind it is the priority of our needs.
Why Some People Are Not Happy Even Though They Have Everything-
Despite having everything they need, some people still struggle to find happiness. This could be due to a range of factors, including:
Comparison: People who constantly compare themselves to others may find it difficult to feel content and happy with what they have. Two individuals can not be the same at a point, so there is no point in comparison, rather we can take inspiration from the people who are more successful than us, and simply try to do our best.
Unrealistic expectations: When people have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others, they are more likely to feel disappointed and unhappy. More expectations from others always become the cause of unhappiness, the lesser we expect, the happier we would be.
Lack of purpose: Without a sense of purpose or direction, people may feel lost or unfulfilled, even if they have everything they need. We must have a goal to do, even short-term goals make us engaging and keep us moving. Every morning, when we wake up, we must have a list of doings otherwise we feel aimless and sad.
Mental health issues: Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions can make it difficult to experience happiness, even in the presence of positive life circumstances. Meditation. Yoga, the practice of deep breathing,(For details, you can go for my article on deep breathing) can eradicate all mental, and psychological issues, and we feel refreshed and energetic.
Ways to Keep Happiness Throughout Life -
To keep happiness throughout life, it is important to cultivate habits and practices that promote well-being and contentment. Some effective ways to do this include:
Prioritizing self-care: Taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional health is crucial for maintaining happiness and well-being. Many times, we are so busy in our daily routine, we do not find time to look after ourselves. At least, half an hour could be taken out for any activity we like.
Cultivating resilience: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and adversity, and it is an important factor in maintaining happiness throughout life.
Building meaningful relationships: Positive social connections are essential for happiness, and it does not our list of friends and social contacts. Even with limited, but worthy contacts, we can make a happy life.
Incorporating Music: Music always enlightens our soul, and good, relaxing, and entertaining music always energies us. Whenever you feel low, just tune on to your favorite musical tune, and you will be surprised to notice the difference, and the lyrics of the music could inspire us.
Touching Story of Happiness -
Mrs. Julie Daniel was a very wealthy lady, who was, like many of her rich friends,' under therapy'. Every alternate day, she would wear her most expensive and fashionable suit to visit her psychiatrist and vent her grievances," Nobody loves me, nobody understands me, I have lost my appetite, I can't sleep!" and so on, she made an opinion that nothing in the world could make me happy, so she is trying to take the help of a psychiatrist Mr. John, and with patience, he heard out her whole litany of complaints and asked her to come tomorrow for the treatment.
On the next visit, the doctor informed her that treatment would begin. When he opened the door of his consulting room and called another lady, Mrs. Mary, would you please come in now, so that Mrs, Julie could hear and see the treatment. Mrs. Julie was shocked to see the lady. Her hands were rough and calloused, her nails were not polished, she wore absolutely no make-up, and her dress was simple and plain. But her eyes sparkled, and the most lovely smile played upon her lips.
"Tell us Mrs.Mary," the doctor began, " are you happy?"
"Yes, thank you, doctor," smiled the lady, " I am very happy indeed,"
"And how is your appetite, do you eat well?"
" The good Lord blesses me with two square meals a day," smiled Mrs. Mary.
"Do you sleep well at night?"
" The moment my head hits the pillow, I nod off, and I only wake up when the sunlight creeps into my room."
"Tell me, Mrs. Mary, were you always this happy?"
"My dear Sir, you know how miserable I was when I lost my husband and son in the accident," said Mrs.Mary sadly.
"Tell us what happened after that," urged the doctor.
" One evening, I heard a mewing and scratching noise at the door, it was a little kitten who had been separated from its mother and abandoned by the family. The little creature was so lost and so scared that my heart melted. I took her inside and gave her some milk in a saucer. You won't believe how she was transformed in a day with the love and care I gave her!
"Soon, the thought came to my mind, that if a little animal could be made so happy with my kindness, how much more happiness I could offer to my fellow human beings. And that was how my new life began. i did whatever I could to make people happy, and I have not looked back!"
Mrs. Julie Daniel stared speechlessly at the cheerful, bright-eyed woman! She had indeed discovered the secret of happiness! She simply made others happy, and the happiness that went out from her to others came back to her manifold. And now Mrs. Julie Daniel no longer needs a Psychiatrist or any Doctor, because she got the key that could open the door of happiness. No doubt all the credit goes to Mrs. Mary.
In conclusion, we can say that there is no as such proven technique or formula for happiness because it differs from person to person, but if we follow some of the techniques or ways, it is not impossible to become happy, I would say that it is our foremost right to remain happy and make others happy, and that is what the purpose of life should be! Thank you, and Be Happy, I truly believe that you can do it if you are unhappy, otherwise Be Happy Happy!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don't allow our bodies to heal, and we don't allow our minds and hearts to heal. - THICH NHAT HANH
Read the following extract from Kahil Gibran's, " The Prophet " to understand what exactly Joy and Sorrow is all about -
Then a woman said, " Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered.
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed out with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, " Joy is greater than sorrow, " and others say, " Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Following is the extract written by Tagore that talks about the reality of the death -
Say not in grief that she is no more.
But say in thankfulness that she was.
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
But the putting out of the
lamp because the dawn has come.
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