Speaking of Happiness

What is happiness? A feeling that all of us are perpetually searching. We know what it is to be happy, we have known happiness in the past, we are seeing others being happy, but very often, we have no clue to what exactly makes us happy, or how to go about achieving happiness. We feel that if we had more than what we currently possess, if we had a bigger car, a bigger house, a better relationship, better health, better finances, better living conditions, better job—basically, we feel that if things were better than what they are, life would be filled with happiness. So we go about pursuing our goals, and often achieve them. Having achieved our goals, we do feel happy and satisfied temporarily, but soon the restlessness set in, the craving for something more sets in, we feel dissatisfied with what we have, and our mind is seeking for something more. We again get caught in the mind trap that more is better, more is happier. We quickly start taking for granted what we have, and want what we don’t have, leading to the opposite of happiness, namely unhappiness. And this cycle continues throughout life, unless at some point one becomes exceedingly aware of the nature of the mind, of the nature of desires and wants, and decided to drop out of these mind games. Then one is truly free and truly happy.
Happiness is also a transient phenomenon, and something that we have to experience in the NOW, in the present moment. We cannot store happiness, or push it for another day. Life is not always about reaching the goal; it is also about enjoying the journey. Life here on earth is a journey from birth to death, for all of us. Birth and death are not in our hands. And travel we must, on this path. Now, what remains is whether we want to travel with unhappiness, boredom, grumpiness, sorrow, misery, or whether we want to travel with happiness, joy, laughter, love, and pleasure. That is the choice we have to make. Happiness is often a choice. Our free will gives us the power to focus on whatever we want—on our blessings or on our lack. Once we make a wise choice, happiness is ours. And if we don’t become aware and make this choice, we tend to be buffeted by the pressures of life, and life here becomes a roller coaster ride, generally unhappy, with a few happy moments thrown in.
This book is a compilation of thirty powerful quotes on happiness. These quotes are made by famous personalities and are laden with meaning and advice. Go through them, one by one, ruminate, think and become more aware. By the time you finish this book, I am sure you will have a better understanding of yourself and will be able to create your own path to happiness.