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Most of us know through experience that true happiness is not a possession or a fleeting emotion. Desire for possessions (whether things, experiences or people) is momentary, as are our emotions, which by their very nature are transient and changeable, often without any clear reason.
The wise say that happiness is a state of mind manifested in our attitude and in how we view the world. It is not in the things that happen to us but in the meaning we find in those things and how it makes us feel about ourselves.
Happiness is not in the things that we have or the amazing things we do, but whether we do it with compassion.
We can be surrounded with so much material things, beauty and blessed with abundance and good health and yet still be dogged with constant dissatisfaction and our own homemade misery.
And yet, strangely enough, when witnessing disasters like the earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, underlying the sadness and the tragedy, many of us discover stirrings within that are seldom felt. Feelings that manifest themselves in the desire to share, to help, to give and to show our solidarity in whatever way we can and in gestures that perhaps have more meaning to ourselves than those whom we help.
Perhaps this then is the true meaning of happiness — not in the amazing things that we do, but whether we do it with compassion. Not in fine possessions, but the value they have when we share them with others.
Nor in the brilliance of our minds, but in the quality and clarity of our thoughts.
The wise say that happiness is a state of mind manifested in our attitude and in how we view the world. It is not in the things that happen to us but in the meaning we find in those things and how it makes us feel about ourselves.
Happiness is not in the things that we have or the amazing things we do, but whether we do it with compassion.
We can be surrounded with so much material things, beauty and blessed with abundance and good health and yet still be dogged with constant dissatisfaction and our own homemade misery.
And yet, strangely enough, when witnessing disasters like the earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, underlying the sadness and the tragedy, many of us discover stirrings within that are seldom felt. Feelings that manifest themselves in the desire to share, to help, to give and to show our solidarity in whatever way we can and in gestures that perhaps have more meaning to ourselves than those whom we help.
Perhaps this then is the true meaning of happiness — not in the amazing things that we do, but whether we do it with compassion. Not in fine possessions, but the value they have when we share them with others.
Nor in the brilliance of our minds, but in the quality and clarity of our thoughts.
