Buy happiness for free

I have read quite a few books on “Happiness” and it has only brought unhappiness.

The reason is simple: Happiness cannot be forcibly induced. It is in-built. The soul is in perfect bliss. It’s like the ocean that is at total peace, while the waves (individuals) fret and flutter forgetting that they are part of the ocean. Human activities are also part of nature, just like the rose blooms and butterfly swings.

Are our actions formatted? Are we just enacting what is already scripted? “Yes,” insists my female colleague, “No,” screams my male teammate.  As for me, I am destined to believe in free will.

When I saw the elderly man on Delhi’s Karol Bagh roadside who just had clothes to cover and got his daily food needs from the neighbourhood, I realized money is not compulsory for joy. He was literally living on the streets, but the smile he flashed when I bade “goodbye” was blissful.

I can introduce a friend, Faiyaz, who earns a little money in the Gulf, quits the job, goes to Mumbai, takes a bicycle, gets railway pass, visits libraries and thinks of the next job only when the purse is almost empty. He eats from simple stalls and is contented with humble life.

Of course, the problem is, lack of money is a major source of unhappiness. The solution for this, as wonderful Socrates says, “Man with least needs is closest to God.”

So what’s my concept of happiness?

You sure must have seen a smiling child. The child’s beaming eyes and the smiley lips are delightful without a doubt.  

When confronted with a challenge, I shift to that format. Like an automatic camera adjusts its photo setting to the outside situation, a smile with those twinkling eyes dilutes anger and boosts confidence.

Hey, I have not won. I am just trying. And it is such fun boss.