In pursuit of happiness

People often ask me "what is happiness". Not because I am an authority, but because I guess, they relate my smiles to happiness.

We all have our dark sides. The sides we dont want people to know about. The sides which reveal the real us. The one which resides in us and connects us to our souls. We dont want everyone to peek in it. Only those, who we trust , can go deep inside to see that part of ours. And once they do, they know the real us. That leaves us a lot vulnerable too. 

I really dont know what happiness is. Just that I know, it exists in a lot of forms. Sometimes, in little things such as a good cup of coffee at work when I didnt have breakfast, a surprise call from a bestie I didnt talk to in a long time, when Boss asks you to take a leave from work and rest. Or sometimes in bigger things, when our partner understands our needs more than us, when bhai gets you an ipad even before you tell him, when your day at work goes wrong and you have a bunch of friends who will listen to your rants till you get over it. Sometimes, happiness is knowing you kept a promise you made, even when it wasn't working in your favour, or guiding kids about their future, because you know how difficult was it to find your way into career with any counselling, saying thank you to the guy who wanted to sell you a flower at the traffic signal, or just noticing the warmth in the eyes of your special one when they tell you that they love you.

What makes me happy might not make you happy because our happiness is defined by our own needs/wants & desires. But there are intangible things that make me the most happy. It can never be calculated, the net worth can never be estimated, but happiness for me is touching lives. For me "contentment" is happiness. Contemplating over the best usually strives me to get the best, but the race doesn't involve running over other's emotions.

Happiness is not a condition. It is a package that comes with all its highs & lows, odds & evens, perks & benefits. It doesn't come to us wearing the perfect face of glory. It comes to us, in many forms, at times touches us with the most subtle of emotions & leaves, with a trail for us to follow. We miss it at times, because we strive for perfect moments. We lose it because we want approval from others. We disown it because its not what our expectations were built on, We abandon it because we think we deserve better. Not a very wrong approach may be .. But what if .. those perfectly imperfect moments of happiness were all the glory we ever would have in our lives. 

Our relations, our families, our friends, our special ones, they all make an important part of our lives. How much effort do you put in to bring them happiness? How many times do you dream for them via your eyes? How long have you been struggling to make them happy? If you strive for happiness, if you strive for serenity, if your long for love, love others and the Karma would send happiness your way.

I am mean & selfish. The only person I strive to keep happy is myself.
I cannot give much happiness to others, but may be a smile, I can give, which subtracts nothing from my own happiness but adds a value to your lives with a positive thought. 

To all those reading .. thank you, as I continue my journey of life .. in pursuit of happiness..

- FR