The Art Of Happiness - 2

Someone says happiness is enjoying the life you live. Recently, I met parents who have two sons. The elder one, who currently lives in the USA and is in his second year of college, came with them. He has very sensitive ears; he gets disturbed by loud sounds and finds it difficult to understand when too many people are talking together. The mother was always on her toes for both kids. Due to some problem, the parents couldn't go when he first went to the USA. That particular time was very crucial and difficult for the child, as he had to cope with challenges like getting into college, finding a place to stay, dealing with bank work, and many more. Parents take such good care of their children here and then suddenly send them abroad with all their financial efforts. But do we try to find out if the child really wants to go? Will he manage there? Will the child be happier here with them or there?

Today, the boy is not happy there since he had to face many challenges for which he was not prepared. He misses his house, parents, and food. He hardly eats and has sleepless nights. His overall health is deteriorating, and his ear sensitivity issue has worsened. A child from a well-to-do and happy family goes abroad, and now the situation is that the child feels lost and doesn't know what happiness means. During this conversation, the father says that at the age of 18, Ratan Tata started working and made his career. "I let him go so he could enjoy and get exposure in life," the father says. The child responds, "I never wanted to go. I had a much more comfortable life here." In today's world, parents are just following the trends of what others do. Everyone is going abroad, so my child should also go. Is there a rat race in this as well?

I feel psychology aptly says that in life, you learn 20% from education and 80% from your environment. Every child is different, and every child has their own thoughts, emotions, and feelings developed from their environment. Why do we consider every child in just a general category? If someone is going abroad, we think we should also go. If some kids get good marks, we think our kids should also get them. If a child makes good money in a particular profession, we think our kid should also pursue that profession. If someone is good at sports, we think our child should also be good at sports. But when giving examples of others, like Tata, parents should first ask themselves why they haven't become like Tata or Birla before expecting it from their kids.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Happiness has to be felt at every stage of life. It comes only when you enjoy whatever you do. Let kids also say or think about what they like and what they enjoy. What is the achievement for them in life? Is it money? Is it fame? Or is it to be happy? Some parents are in a rat race, while on the other side, today I attended a function at a school for the deaf. Through the Josh Foundation, we provided digital hearing aids to around 80 kids based on their requirements. This year, out of those kids, 22 appeared for the 10th standard exams, and all of them passed. The school achieved 100% results, and all the kids scored above 60%. They were so thrilled and happy with this achievement.

Every child received a few gifts and chocolates from all the guests present there. They were deaf, and they passed with such lovely percentages—their happiness was unbelievable. They were happy with what they got. I see real happiness in small things. Someone asked me there, "Ma'am, you are so busy, but you came for such a small function and on time and decided to celebrate the happiness of deaf kids." I told them promptly that real happiness is here with these kids who fight all challenges every day and still smile. I wish to spend more time with them than searching for celebrities and big personalities. I get inspired and receive a lot of positivity and happiness from them.

Materialistic world, show-off, comparison, jealousy, running behind name and fame, and social media craze—all these actions are killing our real art of happiness. We come into this world without anything and leave without taking anything. We understand this, but we still don't implement it in our lives. I remember when we were small in school, if we did something good for the first time or behaved nicely at home, our parents and teachers would give us a smiley on our hand, and we would be happy and share this little happiness with others. Where have we lost this after growing up and becoming young adults or elderly persons?

My positivity towards every act of life and faith in God have taught me that: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Sometimes understanding this gives you true happiness. There are many intellectual personalities who have transformed difficult times into opportunities to use their best potential. They just needed one such moment to make a 360-degree turn in their life.

This turning point is possible for every person on this universe. One of the saints says, "When I left my routine work in my profession and decided to teach spirituality, I used to spark with life every morning. I felt that I had to prepare, ignite new life in youth, and motivate them. I looked forward every day to improving myself and others." Gurus, with dedication, help people find the true art of happiness. This Guru Purnima, I salute our gurus and pray that we receive the support of our gurus to motivate us and help us find the true happiness of life. Thank you, God.