Are You Happy?
I often wonder if happiness is elusive or is it truly an emotion. We set sight on goals, be it personal or professional, take baby steps toward it, and once we achieve it we are meant to be happy. The other day our help got her grandchild along. He is a 4-year old. We decided to hand over some chocolates and goodies to him. He carefully took the bag and asked his grandmother (our help) to place it in a larger one as he would be travelling by the local train back home, lest they get spoilt. I realized how precious it was for him.
This led me to think further how is it that I do not care about my belongings much these days. Is it that I am pressed for time, am I too obsessed with technology or do other thoughts end up cluttering my mind? Often, the wardrobe is in a mess, even new buys don’t matter right after I have purchased them. Is this what following the rat race has led to? First, for grades, then, for a decent job, and now for ensuring the salary is in at the end of the month. At times I wish life was a little more difficult for me in my initial years which would form the base of adulthood. I guess it is extremely important for children to understand the realities of life early on for them to grow into complete human beings with the perfect blend of wisdom and resilience.
Now that we are all adults, how would we measure happiness? It’s subjective right? Differing from person to person, from situation to situation and according to priorities. Money, fame, looks and success make everybody happy. Who doesn’t want to be a part of the Fortune 200 or the Big 4? Who doesn’t want his child to scale newer heights with each passing day? Doesn’t a significant appraisal make us brim with joy? But, strangely there are several who would find joy in possibly just cracking a joke, making people laugh, spending time with nature (if they are lucky enough to be away from concrete) or maybe just try out a new dish and garnish it.
Or is it that with rising inflation each year the thought of securing the future keeps us on our toes eternally? But, without snatching our moments of happiness would life have been possible? We make memories as we wade through life. Some pleasant and some, not so pleasant. And, they stay etched in our minds forever. Some say they live life momentarily, but not sure how much of that is actually possible. I do try that at times, but not sure whether I have succeeded at it.
For me happiness is mostly elusive. It’s more about being at peace with self which might lead to a happy countenance. Do you feel the same, or are there moments when you are ecstatic? If yes, then you should consider yourself to be extremely fortunate. The force is with you 🚤🛩️🚁☄️