EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS

EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS
By- KHUSHWANT SINGH

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the reader's appraisal.


1) First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial will deduct from your happiness.

2) Second, a HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into cores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, traveling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.

3) Third, a HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4) Fourth, an UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.

5) Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6) Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gun-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7) Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.

8) Eight, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do.

Nathaniel Cotton (1721-1788) summed up my views on the subject in one verse:

If solid happiness we prize Within our breast this jewel lies. And they are fools who roam The World has nothing to bestow From our own selves our joys must flow And that dear hut, our home.

THE BEST OF THE BEST YOU!

You are the person
who has to decide
whether you'll do it,
or toss it aside.

You are the person
who makes up
your mind
whether you'll lead or linger behind.

Whether you'll try
for a goal that is far or be contented
to stay where you are.

Take it or leave it,
there's something to do
Just think it over
It's all up to you!


author,
unknown

GOD & ME

God: Hello Did you call me?
Me: Called you? No Who is this?
God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now.
I am in the midst of something
God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.
Me: Dont know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic.
Its rush hour all the time.
God: Sure. Activity gets you busy.
But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
Me: I understand. But I still cant figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting
YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity.
In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.
Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?
God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. Thats why you are not happy.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..
God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified
without fire.Good people go through trials, but dont suffer. With that experience
their life becomes better not bitter.
Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?
God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher.
She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
Me: But still, why should we go through such tests?
Why cant we be free from problems?
God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to)
Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and
endurance, not when you are free from problems.


Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we dont know where we are heading..
God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.. Look inside.
Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight.
Heart provides insight.
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction.
What should I do?
God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure
as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than
knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass.
Let others work with the clock.
Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, why me? When they prosper, they never ask Why me.
Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few wantto be on the side of the truth.
Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I cant get the answer.
God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it.
Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?
God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.
Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.
Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the
New Day with a new sense of inspiration.
God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Dont believe your doubts
and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.


Author,
Unknown

HOW TO INSTALL LOVE IN OUR SYSTEM

How to Install Love in Our System
Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?
Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?
Tech Support: What programs are running ?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will entually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components ." What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Customer: So, what should I do?
Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your
Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.
Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting
files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all
directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
Customer: Thank you, God.



by
Meher Nath Sahai

MY DECLARATION OF SELF ESTEEM

I AM ME

IN ALL THE WORLD, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE EXACTLY LIKE ME
EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF ME IS AUTHENTICALLY MINE
BECAUSE I ALONE CHOSE IT-- I OWN EVERYTHING ABOUT ME
MY BODY, MY FEELINGS, MY MOUTH, MY VOICE, ALL MY ACTIONS,

WHETHER THEY BE TO OTHERS OR TO MYSELF -- I OWN MY
FANTASIES, MY DREAMS, MY HOPES, MY FEARS, -- I OWN
ALL MY TRIUMPS AND SUCCESSES, ALL MY FAILURES
AND MISTAKES BECAUSE i OWN ALL OF ME, I CAN BECOME
INTIMATELY ACQUANTED WITH ME -- BY SO DOING

I CAN LOVE ME AND BE FRIENDLY WITH ME IN ALL M Y PARTS --
I KNOW THERE ARE ASPECTS ABOUT MYSELF THAT PUZZLE ME,
AND OTHER ASPECTS, THAT I DO NOT KNOW -- BUT AS LONG
AS I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING TO MYSELF, I CAN
COURAGEOUSLY AND HOPEFULLY LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO
THE PUZZLES AND FOR WAYS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME

HOWEVER I LOOK AND SOUND, WHATEVER I SAY AND DO, AND
WHATEVER I THINK AND FEEL AT A GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME IS AUTHENTICALLY ME -- IF LATER SOME PARTS OF HOW I LOOKED,
SOUNDED, THOUGHT AND FELT TURN OUT TO BE UNFITTING, I CAN

DISCARD THAT WHICH IS UNFITTING, KEEP THE REST, AND INVENT SOMETHING NEW FOR THAT WHICH I DISCARDED -- I CAN SEE,
HEAR, FEEL, THINK, SAY, AND I HAVE THE TOOLS TO SURVIVE

TO BE CLOSE TO OTHERS, TO BE PRODUCTIVE, AND TO
MAKE SENSE AND ORDER OUT OF THE WORLD OF PEOPLE
AND THINGS OUTSIDE OF ME -- I OWN ME, AND THEREFORE
PEOPLE AND THINGS OUTSIDE OF ME --

I OWN ME, AND THEREFORE

I CAN INGINEER ME -- I AM ME AND

I AM OKAY

By Virginia Satir

My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm

My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone.Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone person."You may create lots of splashes in your life but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures," he said."Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles. You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both."That was the first time I realized each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger. We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.

by Meher

After A While

After a while, you learn the subtle difference / Between holding a hand and chaining a soul / And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning / And company doesn't mean security / And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts / And presents aren't promises / And you begin to accept your defeats / With your head up and your eyes open / With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child / And you learn to build all your roads on today / Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans / And futures have a way of falling down in midflight / After a while, you learn / That even the sunshine burns if you get to much / So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul / Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure / That you really are strong / And you really do have worth / And you learn and learn / With every good bye you learn.

by Veronica A S.