Happiness is an Enigma

What keeps you happy??

Family? Money? Love? Friends? Property? Career? Traveling? Adventure? Peace? Entertainment?

Everything? or Nothing?

The trouble is not *where we look for* but it is *what we look for*. The problem is here - We do not look for happiness. Instead we look for problems and develop a feeling that solutions to these problems will provide us happiness.

Happiness is a state of mind and how often a person is happy, has got nothing to do with how well things are going for him/her. The 'Art of Living' course says a human mind keeps postponing happiness everytime it finds it. "I will be happy when i go to college. I will be happy when i get a job and earn money. I will be happy when i get married. I will be happy when my son/daughter grows up. I will be happy when my son/daughter gets married."

I personally believe that the tendency of human mind to look for problems is less got to do with its inherent nature and more got to do with the impact of civilization which eventually created insecurities and an illusion of a need to be dependent on external entities to be happy. Moreover, the idea of not being in control of something leads to helplessness which in turn leads to unhappiness.

We have too many of our own mental blocks summed up with the road blocks created by the society and the expectations to be met which are set by our own self (need to buy a car, need to clear an exam) and by the society (need to have a decent job to find a nice mate, need to speak good English to live a respectable life). Things don't seem to be any better. Do they?

Actual problems apart, human mind in itself looks for problems in everything, creates problems out of nothing. Such mind-sets are easier to cure. A positive mind-set with a optimistic view about life would help in such cases. Being afraid of future, anticipating negatives all the time are clear indications of a disturbed mind.

I have been reading a couple of research articles on happiness and that made me to write this. All research points to one thing. It also, in a very simple manner suggests a very simple secret to happiness - a) Live in the present to be happy about it. Have a positive view about life and future. b) Presence of people whom we love and who loves us is the most practical way to find happiness. Looks simple. As always, anything that is simple is not necessarily easy. Again, you have all the rights to be happy.

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, But they didn't take the time to stop and enjoy.. Take time to stop and enjoy.. Be happy..