WHAT GIVES HAPPINESS ?

WHAT GIVES HAPPINESS ? 

1DO THINGS GIVE HAPPINESS ? 

I gifted stuffed teddy bears to both my granddaughters, one was gushing with happiness  as she had got what she liked while the other wasn't happy for she had wanted a doll .So it was not the teddy bear giving happiness  but the thought that she wanted a teddy bear gave her happiness .This is exactly what happens in life to most of us .Our happiness equation keeps on changing depending on getting what we want at that moment in life eg from possessing a cycle to scooter to car as we grow up .

2 BASIC EQUATION OF BEING HAPPY IS FED WRONG

Since childhood we have been equating happiness to possessions and actions .if I get this or if I do this I will feel happy ? I must have money to buy the things I like and do the things I like and then only I will feel happy .Then we find that happiness vanishes fast for wanting something more something better always .Our conscious layer of thought has become numbed by this thinking  since birth . Parents tell children "now I have given you this so be happy now "with the thought that happiness can be bought .

3 CAN WE BUY HAPPINESS ? 

If things give us happiness then we need money to buy things so  does that mean we buy happiness with money ? We do need money to buy comforts in life but  physical comforts are not the same as  emotional comforts of happiness .You may have everything that money can buy but you still may not be happy .How often we see rich people flocking to Gurus looking for peace and happiness within .Acquiring  wealth ,achievements ,latest objects and status symbols cannot be our source of happiness .

4 MONEY AND HAPPINESS 

Somebody said "पैसा खुदा तो नहीं पर खुदा से कम भी नहीं" .The poor can't buy basic amenities of life and are unhappy .Lakshmi puja is done to get wealth .Money is important ,you may have everything that money can buy but still no  happiness. We have been programmed to equate happiness to achievements ,performance ,objects and people. Until we don't come out of this myth we will be running to acquire objects of desire and please people .We will give importance to money as our source of happiness .

5 BEING RICH CANNOT BE EQUATED TO HAPPINESS 

Its good to have money to buy the things that money can buy but at the same time we need to keep on checking that in the bargain of earning money we  have not lost the things which money can't buy .Being rich  is  not bad  but richness cannot be equated to happiness .Money is required in life for material external comforts but it cannot buy us happiness .Happiness is our internal creation and can be created irrespective of external comforts .

6 SUCCESS CANNOT BE EQUATED TO HAPPINESS 

We  assume if we will be successful in life we will be happy We strive for success, putting long hours into our work or studies .Its good to succeed in life .But success is not a reflection of happiness, but rather, the other way around.How happy you are is the ultimate measure of success.If success did lead to happiness, shouldn’t the rich and accomplished be the happiest people ?Unfortunately that's not so as they gave up real chances for happiness on their way to the top.They got the equation all wrong

7 DISTRACTIONS TO CREATE HAPPINESS .

To improve our bad mood we take our mind towards distractions like watching TV ,alcohol ,smoking .these distractions engage our minds for sometime so we forget our stress and unhappiness .Is it a healthy way ? It did not work on our  basic negative thoughts ,it did not heal our unhappy state ,the pain remains inside and becomes deeper .Our mind wants  something else ( positive thoughts to be healed ) and we are trying to distract it with something else.How will such distraction work in the long run?

8 HAPPINESS COMES BY NURTURING YOUR SPIRITUALITY .

Materialism is outside growth.Spirituality Is inner growth .If we nurture only the outside growth and neglect the inner garden of our mind we will never taste bliss. When we face a difficult situation eg loss of wealth ,our spiritual virtues can make us strong to face the problems with calm and confidence and regain our monetary status ,but if we have neglected our spirituality and only paid attention to material growth, this can never nurture our spiritual thoughts resulting in unhappiness and stress .

9 BE CONSCIOUS OF BOTH INNER GROWTH  AND OUTER GROWTH 

SPIRITUAL LAW says where attention goes energy flows and where energy flows things grow .So when we give attention to  both our inner growth our spiritual life  as well as our outer growth our material life then both can flourish simultaneously .Hence it is not  correct to  assume that those who have materialistic life cannot have spiritual fulfillment.Both aspects of life can be strengthened by  sincere hard work and  by imbibing  good virtues .

10 HAPPINESS IS NOT ABOUT EXPECTING HOPING WISHING 

if your happiness depends upon EXPECTING things in life ,HOPING situations to  be as you want them to be ,becoming happy because  your WISH is being fulfilled.When you feel you will  be happy BECAUSE of this and  BECAUSE of that,It  shows you are depending on the outside powers to influence your mind to make you feel happy it shows you have a weak mind .When a situation creates your state of mind the situation is more powerful then your mind .Happiness is being grateful with what you have.

11HAPPINESS IS ALL ABOUT BEING DOING AND BECOMING 

Each situation is a stimulus how we respond to the situation is our choice .Our state of BEING (mind) at that time can choose to  be UPSET or NOT TO BE AFFECTED but be stable  calm comfortable confident to handle the situation.What you choose out of these two will dictate your DOING ,so your BEING becomes your DOING and when the same is done repeatedly it becomes your habit your BECOMING.So make a conscious positive choice of being and doing and Choose becoming happiness .