Is happiness disappearing from our lives or we forget to live happily?
Is happiness also
become digital and hidden behind big screens or it's still around us, waiting to
get explored? There can be many justifications to bear out the fact that humans
are not happy and content as they were a few years back. The debate can be dense
and crucial from a different point of view. Many people argue that it is the
time, the social networks, and the financial pressures, and of course a
prevailing coronavirus pandemic that is responsible for dropping the happiness
level around the world. According to a recent survey, the people of the United
States, the UK and other European countries that are known to have the happiest
residents are more anxious and stressed today than ever before.
For us, it
is not the time that should be accountable for rising stress but these are
human behaviors that are slow in adapting to the fast changes. The real thing to understand is that we have
to learn to stay happy in any situation.
A person
from any part of the world will have to hear that peace, happiness, and
contentment are disappearing.
I said to an
old man, ‘I want peace.’ The old man said, ‘Take “I” & “want” out of this
sentence and you’ll remain with peace.’
There is a
never-ending race to get more material things to feel happy and blessed. In
this race, we are not caring for the emotions of others. We are getting happiness at the cost of other’s share anywhere.
In this race, we are neither living in peace nor calming others. There is a popular saying
that the one who disturbs others can never find peace.
The Corona
epidemic has taken a dangerous toll on social relations. Everyone is
complaining about each other these days. Complaints and unrest are being found
in every matter be it religious or political.
Complaints
and grievances between husband and wife, disagreement between father and son,
children to parents and neighbors to their neighbors, friends to friends,
writers and poets to critics and critics to writers and poets can be heard everywhere.
And for this, everyone is giving his two cents that this time is bad. The
question is there any promise or time that is worthy of complaint? The
real thing is whether the time is good or bad?
The role of our deeds and actions is key in
making it good or bad. This is our life and we have to fill it with colors on
our own, shape it or distort it, play our role in making it favorable or
unfavorable.
Internet and
social media have limited our direct interactions with our relatives and friends.
While forwarding and receiving a single Whatsapp greeting message, we fail to
spot the happiness and excitement that we felt on waiting and receiving
greeting cards a few years back. Happiness is not disappeared but the period
of happiness is shortened. Our happiness doesn’t persist longer and we start
looking for some new event to make us happy. The taste of verbal gossip has been lost in Whatsapp and Facebook chat. Talking to a real person, who is
sitting right beside you instead of typing on mobile, will give you real
happiness. We take support of mobile to avoid arguments and fights with our
partners. Gradually, we start to miss intimacy from our partner which is
associated with our verbal conflict anyway. The arguments and fights are real
stimulation of married life. They help us to improve ourselves and to
understand our partner. Putting mobile at sides and listening to your partner can be difficult for a while but the essence of communication will be felt longer.
The positive
side is hidden even in our difficult times. There are rays of hope even in
unfavorable situations. It is necessary to identify it and put it into
practice.
Some actions
that can help us to find happiness are positive thinking, staying busy, writing
your negative thoughts, forgiving, and sharing.
Positive thinking keeps man fresh in every
age. Positive thinking is the perfection of our performance and our
understanding that we deliver to others. It is an insight to turn the tide.
Positive thinking creates space for others and connects you to life and
society. Keep on telling yourself,
“If good
time couldn’t persist then this hard time will also pass. This difficulty will
open up new doors of opportunities for me. I’ve to look for them to use them at
their best.’
It has been
best practice to keep the momentum and pace of happiness to write down negative
thoughts and then throw them in the trash. According to psychologists, this
should be done regularly. Paying attention to your thoughts and taking care of
when negative thoughts are invading the mind and trying to think of something
good immediately can also drive negative thoughts out of our minds.
Writing and poetry can play an important role
in protecting life from disappointments as long as they are constructive and
representative of the values of life. Use your mobile or laptop notepad to
write whatever you feel, think, and want from life. All our actions
seem to be personal but their effects on our collective life are very deep.
Writing can help us to understand the other person’s point of view.
Most people
are moving away from social life by worrying all the time. They live in the
past all the time or keep worrying about the future. This overthinking does
not allow a person to rest. Living in the present and feeling the present to
the fullest can save us from drowning in the thoughts of the past. Who saw
yesterday? So, why not learn to live in the present. Thinking about the future
is a negative process but making a goal in life is a positive thing. Set goals
in life and strive for them instead of thinking about the unseen future.
Time has
entered into new dimensions in the 21st century. Time has become digital and faster
but the sentiments; the cravings for care and love are still old. Who doesn't
like to get something but says that the pleasure in giving a gift is not in
taking. Sometimes helping a needy friend or relative, feeding a homeless person, or any other kind of charity even giving a smile to someone will make your mood
better. How to spread love to go? This question is not so difficult. Giving a
gift to your loved ones, get along well with other employees working in the
office, give ice cream to a child, many small habits to share the love with your
fellows can help gain love. It doesn’t need money, or a fast
internet connection to spread love among your fellows.
Being able
to forgive the mistakes of others can make life easier and happy. A
psychologist who has counseled many married couples says that most problems
start with daily bitterness.
Paying
attention to each other, caring for each other, keeping up, and, above all,
forgiving mistakes can prevent many relationships from breaking down. Forgiving
is closely related to forgetting and you need to forget or let go of some events
to move on in your life. Sometimes toxicity in one’s life is because of its habit
of self-pity.
“I can
forgive the mistakes of my husband but can’t forget,” many women use to say
this and miss the happiest moments of their lives.
Happiness
has dropped sharply around the world, according to a new global survey.
Whatever
religion a person belongs to, he is drifting away from his religious teachings
and running blindly in pursuit of the world.
There is
also a report that the subject of happiness has become a part of the curriculum
in schools in many countries. It is good to learn how to seek and deliver
happiness.
The
curriculum includes daily mental meditation, moral education, and mental
exercise with the help of which students will be taught to be good human
beings. The curriculum will strengthen the role of students, improve their
mental health and teach them tolerance. Students will also be taught to cope
with stress, depression, and anxiety.
According to
the World Happiness Index, Norwegians are the happiest people. A year ago,
Denmark was the happiest country on the index. The compilers of the Global
Happiness Index believe that if happiness could be bought with wealth, the
United States would be the happiest country, but this is not the case because
of government policies.
The main
reason why Norway is considered to have a top-level happiness index is its
economic system and health standards. The people of this country have more
options to choose from in their daily lives besides being confident.
Iceland is
ranked third and Switzerland is ranked fourth in the global happiness index. Seven
of the top ten countries in the new report are from continental Europe. Germany
is ranked 16th among the most populous countries. The happiness of the people
is linked to the pro-people policies of governments. There are three
non-European countries in the top ten countries. The North American country
Canada ranks seventh. Australia is ranked eighth, while New Zealand is ranked
ninth. This report was released by the United Nations and is compiled by an
organization that oversees global sustainable development. India ranks 118th,
and Afghanistan ranks 154th. Iraq ranks second among the unhappy countries.
Afghanistan and Yemen are at the bottom of the list.
On the other
hand, even among ordinary citizens of rich countries, unnecessary pressure and
hegemony are increasing. Citizens of many rich countries have expressed some
degree of satisfaction with their lifestyles. And the gloom has taken hold. In
the end, we will end this conversation with a beautiful statement
It is clear guidance that when you feel a lack of peace, then repent before your Lord.
We have heard from the elders that a content heart is a great blessing. A
blessed heart is always calm, no matter what the circumstances; he lives with
patience and gratitude. A discontent person always feels troubled even after
rearing, he remains anxious and finds no peace.