Last Sunday, my sons came insisting me for going to the park their cousins were going. I refused because I was not feeling well.
They felt sad and displayed disappointment. For their happiness I gathered my energy to go. They were happy.
After reaching the park they took rides of their choice. They enjoyed themselves.
On our way back from the park, they stuck on a stall to buy a torch light from there. I refused to buy that (we can’t buy everything we see in the world). They displayed sadness again.
That’s how life is. Not only of kids but of most of the homo sapiens. We are in a constant chase of happiness. Desiring for things one after the other.
How often it happens that a certain thing feels like the focus of happiness for us but soon after achieving it, it loses its worth. Another thing appears in our hit list and we are after it undermining the value of all we have.
Over the time I have understood happiness is an attitude that needs spiritual growth.
Material objects do bring happiness but it is quite temporary. I don’t say that materials are not important. They have their significance for a comfortable life. Nevertheless, their attainment is not directly proportional to happiness.
Happiness is subjective. No one can decide for another person as if what would make one happy. However, there are certain attitudes that are sure to bring happiness and satisfaction in our lives.
Gratitude is on the top of the list. The tragedy with our lives is that our focus is mostly on what we don’t have. Despite being bestowed with countless blessings, our centre of attention is what we don’t have.
Gratitude is an art that can be learnt; and I am trying to inculcate in my life by consciously counting the blessings.
Gratitude gives me positive energy to overcome obstacles and to appreciate the achievements. It makes me happy.
Contentment has also a lot to do with happiness. While gratitude enables us to appreciate our own attainments, contentment saves us from the negative emotions brought by upward comparison with others.
Many people in our surroundings are ahead of us in many things. We are often fouled by the shine. Lack of contentment makes us feel unfulfilled.
In the world of reels where there is a lot of glitter making you focus on the things you lack in your life contentment isn’t easy to adopt, I confess. Nevertheless, a conscious effort is helpful in adopting the attitude.
I am on my way to inculcate contentment in me. The more contented I am, the happier I feel.
Understanding and accepting ones limits has also an impact on the level of happiness.
Many times it happens that we want to bite off more than we can chew. We constantly pressurize ourselves to achieve everything we have set for us. When we fail, regret follows. Consequently, no matter how much we have gained we feel unhappy.
My mother once said, “be thankful to God for what you could achieve instead of being regretful about what you couldn’t perform.”
I had been one such person who encountered guilt and regret for doing what was expected. It always kept me unhappy.
Though not fully yet I have started embracing my limits. When the negative emotions of guilt and regret fade, happiness prevail.
In conclusion, I am on my way towards the spiritual growth where I would no longer need to outsource happiness but it would be generated right inside me.
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