“Happiness… is not a destination: it is a manner of travelling. Happiness is not an end in itself: It is a by-product of working, playing, loving and living.”
Haim Ginott
All our life we run after the things that can make us happy. Later at one point in life we did realize that we have wasted so many years of our life at wrong place. Happiness was always there inside of us but we kept finding it in other things and in other people.
Real Happiness is Internal. We can choose to be happy all the time even if we do not have all the things we want.
If you are looking for the eternal happiness, look inside. If you think it can only given by others, you are looking for pleasure. Most of the time People and other things give us pleasure not happiness.
Difference between Pleasure and Happiness:
Sometimes we use the term “Pleasure” and “Happiness” interchangeably. However one can invoke other but they are different. Pleasure comes from external things and people around you. If you wanted to own a new car, you will feel pleasure when you get it. But it will only last a few months, right. Then you will keep your eye on buying some other thing.
Sometimes these big pleasures vanish instantly when you just hear some misfortune or loss of some other thing. For an example if after buying a car you get to know that the price you paid for that car was higher than the market price. Or someone accidently smashed your brand new car in a parking lot. Now see, you may have saved money for 6 months or even a year to get something but the happiness came from that does not even last for a month. This lack of satisfaction gives birth to another desire to find happiness.
I am not denying you to buy a car if you need it, but do not expect these things to provide you long lasting happiness. Only you can provide yourself Eternal Happiness and you already have it inside of you. Let us see how to experience the Eternal Happiness:
Find your Life Purpose:
Explore yourself. Only you know exactly what you want. Explore you life. Everyone in this world has a purpose but not everyone finds it. Dig into life and you will find yours. Once you find your life purpose and then working on this will offer you Eternal Happiness.
“The purpose of life is to be life of purpose.”
Robert Byrne
Be yourself and Love yourself:
Find your uniqueness. Be what you want to be. Do what you love doing and always Love yourself. John Mason said it right: “You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.”
Do not depend too much on external things for happiness:
If you always feel much happiness when something good happen to you, chances are you will be too distressed when worst comes. Remember: Things keep changing. In life sometimes things happen as you desired while most of the time it does not go as you think. Do not get too much attached to it. Do not cry over spilt milk. Try to see things from different angle. You will found something positive in everything if you find it. It all depend on you how you look at this. But same is true for Negative so choose what you want to see.
Do not take life too seriously:
If you always take life too seriously it will keep you hurting. Enjoy playing with it. Keep finding moments to enjoy. No matter how tough circumstances are, keep yourself calm and peaceful. Peaceful mind is source of Eternal Happiness. It may take a while to practice that but it is always possible.
Make yourself your best friend:
Which is the one person you spent most of your time? It is you. Do you like your company? How do you feel when you are lonely? Do you like it with yourself? Make yourself your best friend and you will be always happy. Always keep talking with yourself. Keep reminding yourself your hobbies and passions. Share yourself things that you love. When nobody has time to go with you to your favourite even, Go alone. Remember: You will always enjoy company with your best friend and your best friend is you.
Forgive and Forget:
Do you hold grudges for a long time? These are enemy of Eternal Happiness. Do you have so much empty space in your mind to keep bad memories with you forever, even if they do not pay rent too? Empty your mind by forgiving them and forgetting them if needed. Forgiving does not make others better; it makes you better. So forgive and forget things of past that are eating your lot of today.
“Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else.”
Brian L. Weiss
