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Jun 14, 2012

Happiness or Peace???



            Money, Love, Power, Fame, Respect! In our efforts to earn something that we think our heart desires, we are all looking for our own versions of happiness. A 26-year old graduate working 14 hours a day trying to reach a 6 figure salary, thinks he can be happy if he has money enough to buy him anything he lays his eyes on.
            A 16-year old girl in love with a boy for the past 10 years, thinks if he falls in love with her then she can be happy.
            The 65-year old politician fighting for the Chief Minister’s position, thinks he can be happy once he attains the power to rule lakhs of people.
            The 29-year old struggling actor running between producers and directors day and night, thinks she can be happy once she earns that fame that she has always longed for.
            The 45-year old father thinks he can be happy when his son graduates as an engineer from the most prestigious institute, earning respect from the entire society. What is common among these souls?... They are all craving for Happiness; or rather We are all craving for the day we can truly be Happy and remain in that feeling eternally.

            One lesson that life teaches us since the day we are born, is that change is ever constant. Today you may be happy you bought a new super bike, but tomorrow you may be in the hospital getting your accident wounds bandaged. We learn that the state of being happy isn’t eternal as we all hope for it to be.

            Then why do we still run after it? It’s either our ignorance of the obvious truth or our laziness to learn otherwise. We lead our lives like a broken record, endlessly embarking on the journey to find boundless happiness, only to find that life is a roller coaster ride, where worries, sorrow, disappointment and heart-break are a part of the package.

            If happiness isn’t what we should look for then what do we look for? What should we wake up every day and work hard for? If happiness isn’t our goal then what is?...... PEACE.

            In our heads the idea of happiness and peace are nearly the same. We believe that when we attain happiness, we attain peace. But is it? A simple illustration can teach us the difference between Happiness and Peace. Imagine you are in love with someone and haven’t expressed your heart’s emotions to them. One day you wake up and decide you want to finally reveal your feelings to them.
            
            If your wish is to be happy, you will pray a million prayers that your love will express their love for you too. In your head your ‘Happily Ever After” will finally come true. But there is another side to this truth. If the other person doesn’t love you back, you are left alone to drown in your tears of sadness. The f expectation of being happy, leads to disappointment.

            When you express your feelings for the person, if attainment of peace is your goal, then the outcome of this endeavour is insignificant. Whether they love you back or not, you accept the truth and accept peace in your heart. If what you wished for didn’t come to you today, then there is always a tomorrow. That is the truth of life! With peace in your heart no sorrow in the world can bring a tear to your eye


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