The happiness search

Consider these sentences. "I wish you all happiness". " I want to be happy." "I want you to be happy." "All I want is to find some happiness." Most things change with time. Clothes, customs, cultural mores, language. As a race we humans are constantly evolving, changing, redefining  ourselves and our surroundings. But the thirst for happiness remains constant through all ages. It is perennial, unchanging. With all our basic appetites satisfied we still crave for this ephemeral elusive thing we call happiness. But to exactly define it is so difficult. It means different things for different people. For some it can be something as simple as a smile on someone's face; a blooming flower; a sunset or sunrise. For others it might hold heavier more philosophical connotations. The mystery behind life and death. The eternal bliss. Sat, Chit, Ananda. But we all agree on one count. That is we search for happiness throughout our lives. We pursue success, riches, love only because we so desperately crave that feeling that high these bring- and which we call happiness. Happiness is basically the emotion of pleasure and bliss we feel at certain points in our lives. It is not a constant permanent state for most of us; it is fleeting. Only for those who have attained liberation perhaps it can be permanent. 

Our constant cry these days is "I want to be happy." Do we forget that in our very act of searching for it we might in fact lose it? If we question ourselves frequently "Am I happy?" we are opening the door to discontent and unhappiness?  

Pause for a moment. Stop. Stand still. Look around you. 

Instead of searching for happiness see how many reasons you already have to be happy. You have a fantastic family, loving friends and the opportunity to see a new sunrise every day. So, many things in your life are wrong. But hey! Life's not perfect. If you search for reasons to be happy instead of searching for happiness itself, you might just find what you've been searching for. Inside. Around you. In those myriad little things we overlook so often and which mean so much when we no longer have them. Let our search begin with counting our blessings. So trite. I know. But try it sometime. It works. 

There is only one person who can truly ensure your own happiness. That is you. Because even though you didn't know it you had the key the whole time. So stop your search. Reach out and unlock yourself. Begin by being happy.