In Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is life’s most precious gift to mankind. It is also the most elusive and difficult to attain. Happiness cannot be definitively defined or quantified. It is an evanescent feeling that fills our mind once in a while, when we experience a beautiful moment. Happiness is all about perception. Therefore every individual finds happiness in different ways. For some happiness lies in savouring the simple pleasures of life , for others it is about realizing a dream or living a successful life. For others happiness is about bringing happiness to others by spreading good will and cheer all around. Whatever be our modes of finding happiness, it must be said that a person is happiest when he/she is being true to his/her own self. That implies accepting our self for what we are. It is essential that we recognize that each one of us is special and we do not need to change the way we are to gain acceptance. There are times in our life when we are forced to examine our self through other people's eyes. That is when we start doubting our own worth , wishing we could change something about ourselves to please people who matter to us. It could take the form of pursuing a career that really isn't mean't for us, or indulging in extreme attempts to gain social acceptance in a peer group. In each of these cases we deliberately ruin our chances of happiness despite all our good intentions. What is important is for every individual to take cognizance of the fact that it is upto each of us to discover the path to true happiness for ourselves. There are no short cuts to this path. In fact it is a tortuous road sometime, when our faith will be tested, our beliefs shaken and the very foundation of our existence may appear to crumble. Yet to be able to cruise ahead on this road and find happiness within ourselves is a reward in itself, that make the tumultous journey seem worth the effort.