Source of Happiness

Life's Lessons - Joseph Mattappally


            What actually is the reason of happiness in life? Each of you may have some unique or strange answer to share. Believe it or not, Nature has always ready with it a universe full of happiness which it patiently waits to empty into your ‘present’. But our ‘present’ is logically artificial and it does not ever connect to the Nature’s bounty.  

            Recently, a media report on the 17^th longest known married life, published in DeForest Times caught my attention. One Alice, (98) and Ted Rortvedt (100) celebrated their 80^th wedding anniversary. They clearly remember that a loaf of bread cost seven cents and gas was only one dime a gallon, when they got married. But the couple, who are obviously still very much enamoured with each other - can't quite remember the reasons for getting together. 'We just went to the Justice of the Peace and that was it,' said Mr Rortvedt. I then searched for Zelmyra and Herbert Fisher, who presently hold the world record for the longest married life. Zelmyra, 103, scorns the idea that there’s some secret to the longevity of their marriage. According to them, it was only God that kept them together; but, interestingly both belonged to different sects all their life. Accepting things, the way it comes in seems to be the Gospel and the way of life of the happiest people in the world, as I learned from their stories. I also found that the happiest people always look at the brighter side of things.

But, a past decade study on the happiest people in the world, truly disappointed me. I could find India, the abode of stunning philosophies, standing at 115^th rank, behind even Ethiopia (108) and Libya (67). I asked myself, what happened to my dear India? Is it the destiny of all those religious cultures which hide unhappiness in long chants and shrewd mantras? To be honest, I don’t know. 


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