Unlocking the Key to True Happiness

Aug 11

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When was the last time you laughed? Like genuinely laughed? Laughed so much that you had tears of joy in your eyes? A few days back, I happened to pass by a small town, en route to one of our business locations. As my colleague and I stopped over for a hot cup of tea at one of the town’s tea stalls, there was a sudden downpour. Naturally, we ran for cover, which we found under the protective shed of a nearby shop. While we were discussing the possible changes in the schedule due to bad weather, I noticed something that was usual for the streets, but seemed magical to me.

I saw a few kids dancing in the rain, having a gala time. Soon one of the kids took an old worn out tire, and the other got into it, fitting himself into its circumference. His friends then pushed him and the tire down a gentle slope. A captivating show soon transpired before us as the kid rolled down the entire slope, while his friends kept jumping with joy and laughing without a care in the world. This made me think that these kids derived joy out of such simple things in life; that it took so little to make them happy.

Contrast this to the competitive world where all of us are either running from or running towards something. It’s a continuous race of acquisition of material assets or being better than the person next door. It seems like there is no end to this race, no finish to ones wants. Even happiness and relaxation is now a forced routine incorporated in one’s lifestyle to “de-stress”. In fact, just the other day I was walking in the park, and saw a laughter club. Have we reached a stage where all of us need to come together with the common purpose of laughing our worries and anxieties away?

The kids playing in the rain that day made me realize the importance of finding happiness in small things in life. It is only when we are faced with life altering failure, disappointment, sickness or sadness; we understand the real importance of being happy and things that make us truly happy. We realize, how the small things like being with family, being with old friends and spending time with parents do wonders to our state of mind. We only value something when we lose it, that’s just a very human trait. And no matter how much we have, it will never be enough. It might then as well be better to slow things down, to take occasional pauses to appreciate the moment for what it genuinely is. The feeling of being in the moment, is truly liberating. For those kids it was the tire in the rain. For me it was that hot piping cup of tea at a roadside stall in a small town.

And so while we are all racing high and low for securing our unknown futures, let us occasionally pause and express gratitude for the life we have, for the people who are a part of it and for our journey so far. I was reading an article the other day on the regrets of some of the people on their death beds. Two confessions that stood out were, not spending enough time with the ones we love and not being grateful sooner.  I feel not holding grudges and taking a moment to say thank you to the people, who make your life worthwhile, really enhances your life and in a way, sets you free. A Free person is often a happy one! We must find joy in everything we do to appreciate the smaller things.

I believe, true satisfaction stems from true happiness, and being thankful. Knowing how much is enough and being thankful for what you have will ultimately unlock happiness in its truest sense.  In the limited time that we all have on this planet, we must decide when we must stop running behind tangible things for a momentary happiness and experience real happiness that truly matters, because,

 “Khushi Paiso ki Mohtaz Nahi hai, balki apni hassi ki hai”

(Happiness does not depend on how much money you have, rather how much genuine smiles you have

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