Happiness — our lost soulmate. Is it really so hard to find it?
When I was a child my father gifted me a phone, and it goes without saying that I was elated to hold that in my hands. And then, he asked me “Are you happy now?”
Without missing any moment I shouted, ‘YESSSS I am’.
Why wouldn’t I? After all, I was the first one amongst my friends to own a phone and that too with a color display. (Remind you, that used to be a big thing in the early '20s)
And the feeling of excitement was the same when he gifted me my first bike. Then the same question followed, “Are you happy now?” And for another time and for obvious reasons, I answered ‘yes’, again.
I had no reason to be unhappy.
While as a kid, going out with friends and spending a few hours with them was kind of a big deal. Roaming out with them, playing with them and talking about our crushes used to be a definition of a perfect day back then. Even crunching on little snacks while coming back home had made me happier than these complicated foods we have now. And yes, it did make me happy.
The same story and the same question from my father followed in so many things I got or owned, and my answer had always been the same. A big yes followed with a huge smile on my face.
I’m sure you had your own share of happy moments too. Most of us do.
Now, though I have a smartphone (far better than the one I had in childhood), I drive a car, and of course, a decent social media following to prove my social acceptance, yet if you ask me the same question today — my answer would be different.
Everything I have now is better than what I had before. So as per life’s standard, I have all the reasons to be content. Then why it’s so hard to be happy now? Why did these things have lost their charm?
Isn’t this the same story with you? Our life is better in terms of comfort, convenience, and finance, but why we are wandering like mute souls.
Have we lost all the reasons to be happy or lost the happiness itself? Think
Our happiness has found a small corner for itself, as now worries, stress, boredom, ambitions, and selfishness have started roaming free to haunt the majority of the space of our mind and heart.
And, then we wonder, ‘who the hell stole the salt from our life’?
Look within… you will get the answer, that:
1. We measure our self worth by the number of appreciations we get from people.
2. Our social following determines our stature.
3. The cost of our smartphone decides how well we are doing in our careers.
4. The number of girlfriends we have or had determines our X-factor.
5. Our desires have replaced our needs.
6. One like/comment on our post has started to hold a bigger value than an honest appreciation from our loved ones.
7. Though we have got approval from the whole world we still haven’t approved ourselves yet.
8. No matter what we achieve, all we see is how green the is grass on the other side.
9. Whatsapp has replaced the feel of a “what’s up” from a friend.
10. Your phone screen is definitely getting brighter and crisper with time, but it’s stealing the real colors of your life.
And, next time you think it’s impossible to be happy, hit yourself hard with these questions.
- Do you get pleasure in flying your own kite in open skies? Or have you started getting pleasure by cutting down other's kites?
- Have things lost their charm? Or you have lost the charm of those things?
- Has happiness stopped noticing you or have you stopped noticing it?
- Is your job stressing you or being stressed all the time has become your new job?
- Do you accept yourself as who you are before expecting the world to accept you for who you are pretending to be?
- You are choosing the best fuel for your vehicles, but are you fuelling yourself with the right values?
- You are buying ‘Apple’ to boost your image in other's eyes, but have you ever tried to be an apple of someone’s eyes?
- You are judging others sailing boats from the shores, but when is the last time you took yours in the storm?
- You hold God responsible for all the problems of your life in adverse times, then why you credit solely yourself for all your achievements?
- When you don’t mind throwing blames on others, then why you resist taking it from others?
- Traveling is the new happiness mantra and a key to unlocking self freedom, but when is the last time you traveled within yourself to unlock real freedom?
- You are so busy and running wide awake to chase your dreams, how could you forget that dreams can’t be chased with wide-open eyes?
- You are so worried about your future, but aren’t you stressing your present moment too while thinking of the future?
Find answers to these questions, and then ask yourself if it’s really hard to be happy?
They say happiness lies within, but if that is true, why can’t you find it? Because it’s not there anymore. You have sold that space to your temptations, your greed, your wantings, your worries, and your fears. And now, even when happiness comes back to you to claim its home, you refuse to recognize it as you have lost that confidence to deserve it.
Attaining Happiness had never been the problem and never ever will be. The problem is the negligence of realizing it.
Don’t chase happiness, it never went anywhere. Go, open the door and let it come inside again and give the space back where it resided. That’s where it belongs. Not in possessions and attainments.
Next time before seeking answers, question yourself first.
What makes you happy? Do comment and tell us that is it really that hard to be happy?
Originally published at https://www.gofameus.com on November 4, 2019.
