In the movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ one of the characters wrote the word ‘Happiness’ on the wall but spelt it as ‘Happyness’. When questioned about using Y instead of I, he said that there should be no ‘I’ in Happyness there only should a ‘Y’. It took me a while to get the deeper meaning to the statement. After dwelling upon this for a while, I also agree that there should only be a ‘Y’. ‘Why is it so?’ I am sure you would wonder. Read on…………
Well let’s admit that there are metrics to measure just about every aspect of our lives – our money, our well being – physical health, emotional health, our success, economic security and now I’m told research and science is just a step away from measuring our life span as well.
Which brings me to a question – why are we scampering to collect metrics on these aspects? Does this indicate how happy we will be when we collate the information? Why do we need what we need – home, money, family, security, health?
A realization hit me one morning a few weeks ago as I was travelling to work – I had metrics to measure all the above aspects while I lacked any framework on measuring the single most powerful driving force – the desire to be happy.
Did I have reasons to be happy? I sure did – my husband was the tall handsome love of my life willing to support me in every possible way; I had two lovely children; I was a facilitator – cannot imagine doing anything else for a living; I had friends, family and my health…..
Then I started to ponder about the ‘Ys’ or ‘Whys’………..Why then was I snapping at the same people who I care about so deeply once too often? Why was getting dejected at the slightest setback-professional or personal? Why was I losing my temper too often and too easily? Is that how a happy person should react?
I thought long and thought hard and realized that if I could figure out the ‘Ys’ I could increase my feeling of happiness. Here are some of the changes I made in my life which resulted in me being a happier person:
- Eat and sleep in time – science has enough evidence to prove this affects how happy we can be.
- Hold on to your anger – Every irritation does not have to be aired as soon as you start to sense it – this only adds to bad feelings. Allow your irritation to dissipate a little and might be that as time passes you might feel that you need not air it at all.
- Enjoy the fun of failure – People who are happy are the ones who dared to do things differently. As Shiv Khera says “Successful people don’t do different things, they do things differently.” Challenge yourself to learn and explore. Failure and success are mere byproducts – the satisfaction of having tried has no equal.
- Money can buy happiness – Using your money to be closer to your loved ones, to buy products that will increase your efficiency and productivity – the list could be endless. Go ahead splurge wisely and make others and yourself happy.
- Exercise to be happy – there is enough evidence to prove that even a ten minute walk can boost your mental and psychological health.
- Let the second best be good enough – In life it may not be always possible to get the best – no point in fretting over choices available or choices made.
- Give a thing only as much importance as it deserves – this is entirely from your life’s perspective and never from anyone else’s.
- Act – Reflect on what will make you happier and take concrete steps to get closer to whatever makes you happy
This won’t take forever to garner and it is totally worth it!