Happiness, different from temporary or normal happiness.
Happiness, the feeling ofcontentment, pleasure, joy, enthusiasm and delight is much more meaningful thanits literal meanings.
If someone says he is happy it means he is satisfied withthe present situation around him. He is experiencing life the way he wants.Your relationships are going well, your boss is satisfied with your work andyou are in good health. This is temporary happiness, since it is dependent oncertain conditions being the way one wants them to be. If your partner is angryor you are not fulfilling expectations of your boss, your sense of happinessvanishes.
Temporary happiness is with short term gain at the long term expense.It can be health, relationship or personal growth. For example, working twentyfour seven in office behind success and money while neglecting personal healthand family (Atkinson).Track of temporary happiness isgrounded in the faith that true happiness exists outside us.
True happiness is completelydifferent from temporary or normal happiness. True happiness is personalsatisfaction, deep sense of inner well-being.As Mark Twain suggests, the best way to cheer yourself is to cheer someoneup.
A deep sense of gratitude is feltby the people who actually experience true happiness. Contrast of temporaryhappiness which is dependent on current situations and comes and goes withtime, true happiness is independent of life states. Truly happy people feelthose emotions of gratitude and livelihood deeply and completely. Sometimes a person gets caught intohis own emotions when is he depressed or tensed.
He thinks more about hisproblems, imagines himself in worst conditions and this thoughts get darker. Tohim moving forward from that situation appears impossible. He can cheer himselfup by brining happiness into other people’s life. This accomplishes manythings. First, helping other gives internal satisfaction when you see otherpeople smile because of you.
Second, knowing their situation and helping themmakes one feel that his life is not that tragic as he feels and overthinks inhis mind. There is a Chinese saying: “If youwant happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, gofishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you wanthappiness for a lifetime, help somebody” (Santi).Passion is the foundation of giving.
Sometimes the quantity what we givedoesn’t matter. But the love we put matters. Just a smile is enough to makeother’s day. Some people who are depressed and sad don’t expect any financialaid, all the need is a person with whom they can share everything, lending yourear to them is a huge favor. Comforting someone in grief is a great help. Oftena hug and kind words matters a lot when someone has lost his loved one or hasexperienced some tragedy.
Doing something for them like funeral arrangements,appointment from doctor or informing other at the time when they won’t be incontrol of their senses makes one feel the essence of true happiness. Needy people who are living theirlives hand to mouth want financial support. If you aren’t capable of donating abig amount even small efforts means a lot to them like if you are in possessionof something you don’t use, donating it to needy people would be a great favorfor them.
Buy one time of meal for a homeless person is very good and friendlygesture.Aristotle said, “true happiness andfulfillment is attained by loving others rather than being loved”. Showing appreciation publicly,praising someone in front of their coworkers or family to them feel confident,motivating someone to get active, doing volunteer works like teaching yourfellow beings, tutor kids for free who can’t afford tutors, offer to babysit tobusy parents who need a break, lending voice in favor of right people althoughyou personally aren’t going to get affected from results but just joining themto increase their motivation; all these acts don’t cost much but they leave avery significant impact on other while fulfilling your heart with satisfactionand gratitude. A famous saying ofSaint Francis of Assisi is “For it is in giving that we receive”. Anew world where everyone would follow this rule that “happiness is only derivedfrom helping others” there would be air of love everywhere. No one would commitsuicide due to loneliness or their problems. They will have ears to listenthem, people to support them emotionally in their bad times. In the world wherebrilliant students will help weak students in their studies, no weak kid willdo cheating to pass exam.
When rich would help poor financially, fittingthemselves in their shoes. There won’t be any discrimination. Crimes likerobbery and theft won’t exist anymore as no one would feel need to fulfilltheir needs using unjust ways. Everyonewill join hands to move forward together and this world will turn into an idealplace to live in.
