How To Stay Happy

When somebody asked me "How to stay happy" I took risk to reply such question which is generally asked to some Saint or spiritual leader, I explained it as under:

Whole human life is chasing something , getting something, having something or maintaining something. The person was not satisfied and he insisted to explain it further and I had to elaborate my reply and the question and concept implied in it both were manifest.

In this world we are mostly busy in four type of activities:

1. To make or get money and wealth,
2. To have name, fame and be influential.
3. To love and get loved
4. To keep up all the above three in favor on sustained basis.

We can notice well that almost everybody is busy with the above four kind of activities. Level of busyness might be the different person to person depending upon his or her priorities. Now coming on the question "How to be Happy", the point here is that if we are in these four activities only than our happiness would be limited to our needs. In other words, if my need of wealth is acute than it would give happiness to the extent the money and wealth I can consume, the moment the need gets satisfied, happiness will start finding new definition in another activities and it will shift its focus to other activities and this shifting becomes a habit. In this process the real happiness is never finding its value and due importance too. So what to do ? simple answer is that if we can spare part of our time for any such activity which does not fall in these four activities than happiness starts coming in.

To make it simple, such as if someone draws a picture , sing a song, plays piano, walks in a garden, looks at beautiful stars in night, observes sunrise, listen music, meditates, prays, forgives, studies positive thoughts, involves in good sports, supporting others and so on. All these should not have any motive which if eventually leads to the four activities than happiness would be artificial and not the real. In simple words if we start involving in any such activities which is not categorized as part of the four mentioned above than most probably there would be happiness and balance in life too. Those who practices it well, would know it better.      

Exploring Options

Process of achieving any goal essentially travel through various options. We as human being knowingly or unknowingly creating or finding options and sometime it becomes a habit which affects our decisions leading to severe delays totally uncalled for.

 

Exploring options is a good process but it should have some limit and at certain stage one should strive to come out of options and settle somewhere within his or her limits. This applies to any field, be it carrier, study, education, a particular situation or relationship matters. While exploring options several facts come up on surface and that gives clarity about practical side of all the options available to any one. One has to see carefully all the facts about an option and that too from different point of view and then reach to a logical and practical conclusion without being affected by emotions attached to it. If there is confusion one can list out all the positive and negative side of an option and then filter out the points which are most suitable and applied to her or him to reach a conclusion.

The principle of calculating highest loss in any decision is applicable while an option is shortlisted for action. One must question himself both side, What if I go ahead and what if don't. Make honest comparison and the picture would be clear. Sometime the third option is available and that is "Don't go for any option" but generally such situations are rare. One should stay rational and take enough care that it does not make him or her regressive.

 When an option is opted, focus emerges, freedom to work is decided, direction gets defined and results too follow early. Crux of the matter is that  one has to go through the process of options but coming out of it is essential to move forward and striking right balance in life.        

Relevance of Time and Success

In simple words I would like to say when something is not succeeding just see whether the time element studied is well while charting out a course for action. Time is vital to every spheres of life. practically what happens many time that we plan success as object and act so without giving much importance to time. Lets have an example, a person aged around 61 years who is very skilled in a particular profession and one fine day a friend trusted to him came with a proposal to set up a new venture in an area which is totally new to him but sounded high profitability. How should he react to this proposal. There could be varied answers for this as per his priority. He studied the proposal and decided to enter into it. They started well and the venture turned out to a success story in terms of profit and turnover too but the Old man was not happy and the reason was that he became so busy and his personal freedom was compromised. At the age of 61 he dreamed of a very peaceful life full of privacy and enjoy but it happened just opposite because of the reason that while entering into the venture he ignored the time element. He should have thought that was it the right time he should have started the venture for him which will need that much personal attention and energy. He simply chased the success and the time started punishing him though the so-called success was with him. 

Every decision if tested on the ground and within boundaries of time which controls all then it would be far easy to filter out our priorities and the compulsions too in a particular period. Yes there may be situations where time may not allow us to do something but at the same time if we change direction than time too changes and it extends favor to move ahead. if something is coming our ways we should ask ourselves :

Is this relevant to me now ?

Is it what I dream upon ?  

Is this time is suitable to act upon ?

Is it the only option left now ?

how aggressively I should act to make something ?

What is the time left upon to go for something ?

If I opt to go for it, is it worth for me at this time ?

These questions may help us to realize rationality of any decision in our life and thus we gradually start living our life with balanced relevance of time in our mind.