Happiness

Many people think that when they become rich and successful, happiness will naturally follow. Let me tell you that certainly nothing is further from the truth. The world is   full of very rich people who are as miserable as hell. We have all read stories about  movie stars committing suicide or dying from drugs. Quite clearly, money is not the     answer to all problems.

   Wealth achieved through dishonest means does not bring happiness. Lottery winnings does not bring happiness. Wealth left by parents does not bring happiness. In fact,     money alone is almost worthless. If you have both self-esteem and money, however, you  are well on the way to happiness. What is missing in both self-esteem and money is pro- ductive work and a real contribution towards the happiness of others. The secret to  happiness lies in the contribution towards the happiness of others. You can fool others but you can never fool yourself. If you obtain wealth through luck or dishonest means,  you will know you did not earn it. If you have taken advantage of or hurt others to earn your wealth, you will not be happy. You will not like yourself. You will not feel you are capable.

    There are many highly-paid managers and entertainers who do not like themselves.  Outwardly, they seem successful, but deep down they are miserable. They know they are   contributing very little of real value and all the time they live in fear of being ex-  posed as cheats. They know they are not earning their wealth. They know they are  cheating the company, the government or society. But they can’t fool themselves.

     Long-term happiness is based on honesty, productive work, contribution, and self-   esteem. Happiness is not an end; it is a process. It is a contribution to others, pro-  ductive work which makes a real contribution to others and makes you feel like a  worthwhile person. As Dr. Wayne wrote, “There is no way to happiness.Happiness is the way.” There is no use saying “Some day when I achieve these goals, when I get this    car, build this house and have this business…then I will be really happy.” Life just  does not work that way. If you wait for certain things to happen and depend on external circumstances of life to make you happy, you will always feel unfulfilled. There will   always be something missing.

   Long-term happiness is a process of moving towards worthwhile goals and contributing towards the welfare and happiness of others. It does not mean that you should give away all your wealth. It means continuously creating values for others through your own  honest, productive work. It means doing what you love and loving what you do. It means  achieving your goals and then challenging yourself to bigger and better things. It means always striving for more, learning and growing. Doing nothing means death. Activity  means life. Find your purpose, set some goals, do what you love, love what you do, work honestly and productively and contribute real values to the others. In the long term,   that's what it's all about.

  In the short term, you can start practising being happy right now without any obvious reason. How will you know how to be happy if you don’t try it? It is the same as acting and feeling rich. Don’t wait for another 10 years to start feeling rich, successful and happy. Start practising now. You know that they say “practice makes perfect.” Pretend that you are rich and you will become rich. Pretend and act as if you were happy and you will be happy. Pretend and act as if you were miserable and … Well, forget about this  last one. You have been practising that one for far too long.