Happiness is a state of mind. It is a decision that we make each and every day of our life. We DECIDE to be happy. Happiness in other words is not merely a feeling. Even in the darkest moments, one who is 'happy' will be able to see the light at the end of the longest and darkest tunnel. This is what we regard as optimism. Happy people are optimists. Optimists are those who look at the bright side of things, people and circumstances. They make the most of what they have, no matter how little these may be. Their spirits are indomitable. They have a never say die attitude. They take on the challenges of the world. They are brave. They are idealistic. They never blame the stars nor others for their failures. They seize life and what it has to offer- success, failure, good, bad, nice, nasty, happy events, sad events....They are fully human and fully alive.
They wake up each morning and thank God for a new day and live it like their last.
Happiness is the key to success and success is the key to happiness. One begets the other and vice versa. Happy people are successful people. Successful people are happy people. Isn't this so simple. People want to be around happy people. Happy people want to be around people.
And so why do we find so many unhappy people around us- at work, in school, in the department stores, in the supermarkets? And we're not even talking about the hospitals, the nursing homes, the prisons, etc.
It might have to do with the culture that we're breeding in Singapore- materialism, self-centredness, the 'me-first' mentality, kiasu-ism, kiasi-ism. Because once we become introspective and self-absorbed, we will not experience happiness because happiness is also relational. It is about the other. It is about giving and touching another life. This could be our spouse, our friend, our child- just about any other human.
Perhaps, in this current race which we call the rat race, we have not been able to stop, pause for a while to reflect and ponder about where this race is leading us to. In looking at the mud and dirt on the ground we get distracted; we forget to gaze up towards the moon and the stars, our ultimate destiny, HAPPINESS.
