Happiness lies Within

Annapoorani Barani feels that real happiness is what we are—that which is the cause for celebrating life and not the effect of endless endeavours

Consider a man who is wealthy and healthy. He has a palatial house, luxurious cars, a wonderful family, and a contemporary life. This man thinks he is the happiest man in the world. Don’t many of us see happiness the way this man does? Obviously, yes! But is this real happiness?

Happiness has always been a state of mind that constantly dances to the tune of our life’s happenings. An achievement in a contest, award of appreciation from a teacher or a friend, or a distinction rank will brighten our day. The very next day, a rude remark, a silly fight with a friend, or the loss of a loved one makes us gloomy, and our happiness gets interweaved with sequences of sorrow, making happiness an externally triggered temporary feeling.

However, happiness lies within and is permanent.

Conditional happiness

Let me illustrate this with an example. Say, you want to hang out with your friend because you feel it will make you happy. Here, your happiness is the outcome of spending fun time with your friend. A number of things can go wrong if your happiness depended on the outing plan. For example, if your friend refuses, your happiness will be lost. On the other hand, consider that you are intrinsically happy. You request your friend for a night out, and if your friend refuses, you will still find ways to express your happiness within by indulging in some other activity. When happiness is a consequence, it won’t last long. But when happiness is a cause, you will find a hundred motives to keep it alive and everlasting. Happiness must always be the internal trigger for doing anything and must not be regarded as something that must be gained by doing something.

Attachment to experiences