HAPPINESS

How to be happy

Happiness is the state we are in when we have a feeling of wellness or joy; when our feelings and emotions are all favourable to our inner self. True happiness is a matter internal to the body and cannot be fully influenced by external factors although the causative agents do exist in the outside world. Somebody can find happiness in a place where others see pure misery and sorrow.

Some people find being happy much easier than others. They are often happy and seem not to go through tough times in life. They are a source of envy to many especially to those who are in constant search for happiness, those who seem to have had a misunderstanding with happiness by default. Others look for happiness where they think it will be but unfortunately happiness could be right there with them, yet their focus on far of items blind them to the happiness close by.

A lot of recipes for happiness have been formulated for the sake of the seekers of happiness. This is one of them which I personally acknowledge. The one I saw inside some small butchery cum money transfer shop.  This is one of the pieces of text which though short carry lots of information. 
                                          

                Recipe for happiness

1.       Let your heart have no hatred

2.       Let your mind have no worry

3.       Live simply in your own style

4.       Give more and expect less

5.       Always thank God 
 

Let your heart have no hatred

Let us now get into a deeper analysis of the text. Having hatred lodged in your heart is a sure way of being unhappy. It is totally impossible to harbor hatred and expect to have happiness. Negativity cannot reside with positivity in full harmony. The moment you have hatred for someone or something, means that you will always be in the look out for them and wanting them to fail or go through the pain they subjected you to. The moment the person succeeds your heart is saddened and happiness is lost. Therefore desire and aspire always to be devoid of hatred.

Let your mind have no worry

Life is full of things to worry about. Right from the food we shall eat to the expensive things we would like to have. Problems and challenges are everywhere and are bound to make us sad. It is always good to worry a little and use that as a motivation to go for that which we want but others make their lives a life of worries. The Bible says that there is nothing that you can add to your life by worrying. What can only be added is mere misery. And since we are in pursuit of happiness let us minimize or eradicate our worries and find better ways of thinking of them

Live simply in your own style

One of the most lauded statements is that of ‘be yourself’. The problem with some of us is our tendency to look at others and want to be like them. We want to dress, eat, talk, drive and do everything like them. Unfortunately our financial state might not allow us to do so. We therefore get into a period of self pity and wanting that which we cannot have. The moment we fail to get it we become sad and unhappy. It can really be difficult to live another person’s life and why should one go for that which is harder.

The simple solution to this is accepting who we really are and embracing it. As said before, one can be happy in any state he/she is in provided you resolve and make your mind to agree to it. Living within our means and enjoying every single aspect of our lives will really go a long way in simplifying our lives. We can work for that which we want as we live in that which we presently have. Therefore, let us endeavor to live simply, in our own ways that we can comfortably manage. A great man once said that, “Our happiness is not in the how much we have but in appreciating the much that we have”.
 

Give more and expect less

Another source of sadness in our lives is disappointment and one of the greatest cause of disappointment is our own friends. When the people around us fail to fulfill their promises or do something nasty to us we become sad. At times we set our expectations of others too high and they fail to achieve them. We become nice to others but they become less nice. We help them more but they are unwilling to help us. We therefore lose our zeal of being good. But it is said that you be good to others not because they are good but because you are good. The moment we set realistic expectations, we will learn to appreciate the much they have to offer and thus avoid being disappointed. Ultimately, we gain happiness.

Always thank God

The times things seem not to be going as we wish, we always have a tendency to lose hope and joy. Sorrowful moments bring with them sadness. And such moments are bound to come. We need to thank God in all circumstances that we find ourselves in. We know that all things happen for the good of those who love God, who live according to His will. Our worry should therefore not be because of unfavorable circumstances but be that of doing God’s will. The moment we learn to appreciate every moment in our lives, we can fine tune our minds not to bring about sorrow but happiness. And if you can be happy in a sad place what will thwart you from being happy anywhere else?

There goes my recipe for happiness. The one that I saw and believed in. I believe you too can also see it and in one way or the other find a reason to be happy. Let us go for happiness. I be happy, you be happy, they be happy and we all be happy. Life is too short to go through it sad and it will be a total waste not to enjoy it to the fullest no matter what. Let us have happy lives.