art of happiness

Why are you in school? What is your purpose for going to school everyday? Whether you go in this school or that school, what do you ultimately intend to achieve from all of this?

For whatever reason you may have, it has something to do with the quest for success. It is in the confidence that getting education in this school will equip us with the necessary skills and know-how to be successful in whatever field we are in. We are not subjecting ourselves to late nights and hectic schedules for nothing. It is for a greater cause, the belief that success is within our grasp if we just reach out and get it.

Some of us may equate success with achievements, riches or fame. One time too many, we confuse success as how other people would define it. We try to reconcile with how other people perceive success and adapt them as our own. That is probably the reason why some people are not happy even with the achievements and the possessions that they have. Beneath the cloud of ambition and power, they have acquired a false sense of what they really want out of life, which is a sad thought but most of us, have fallen prey to this way of thinking.

Anna Quindlen once said that, if your success is not your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all. The meaning of success can be subjective and may vary from one person to the next. How one person would define success should resonate with their principles and values. Oftentimes we get to a point where in we have to compromise our beliefs in order to get along. The more we compromise our principles, the more we lose ourselves in the process until one day, when we look in the mirror; we fail to recognize the person staring back at us. Success should make us feel good about ourselves and what we do. Other than that, is just an empty promise.

All things in life are in pursuit of happiness. I don’t know of anyone out there whose goal in life is to become the most pathetic person on the planet or the world’s biggest loser. It is human nature to yearn to be something better than what we are.

Some people would say that they want to be rich because they believe that when they are rich they will have everything they want therefore they will attain happiness. Some attribute success on material acquisitions, the sums of money they have in their bank accounts or how famous they have grown to be. These kinds of definitions are unstable and unfounded because these things are temporary. It may be here one day and gone the next.

I attribute success to happiness. When you are doing the thing what you are passionate about, everything that comes along with it, the money, fame and fortune are just a bonus. Genuine and lasting happiness is something that connects with your mind and heart. The concepts of success and happiness are two analogous goals, both lofty but worthwhile.



I have been reading The Art of Happiness by the His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. The book shares how happiness is our birthright as human beings. Happiness is not as elusive as it is perceived to be, like success, it is ours for the taking if we just dedicate our time to attain it. Happiness can be achieved by the training of the mind, filtering positive thoughts and negative thoughts. Each one of us has an innate sense of what is good and bad, no matter what your religion is or what your personal philosophy is and it is in the conscious decision to seek happiness that will have a profound effect in our lives. It is actually a basic concept but the challenge comes in when it is time to implement them. The Dalai Lama presents these concepts in such a way that is enlightening and relates to pragmatic reasons and logic. It’s about time that we reassess the direction we are taking in our lives. Are we who we wanted to be? Or are we an embodiment of somebody else?

As I end this, I leave you with the words of wisdom of the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama:

“So let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that. The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren’t born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities – warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful – happier.”