By Nidhi Taneja
All of us crave for success. We strive hard to achieve it in every possible way. But, sometimes in the course of gaining it or sometimes even after we have everything with us, we are not completely satisfied with our lives. We know that something is missing in our lives but it takes time for us to realize that its happiness that has been lost in the hum drum of our life. We try hard to possess it but fail to understand that happiness is what we create. It’s not a commodity to be found, selected or purchased. It’s a gifted feeling to be enjoyed. Here are five shortcuts to take you to the road to happiness:
1) TRAVEL
Travel not to gain the knowledge about a place, but to get an insight about your own self. A break will reenergize you, and travelling on your own forces you to have to do things that you wouldn’t do otherwise. Travel without any fixed plans and with no intent to arrive or return. You tend to discover some of the best places, when there are no itineraries to follow. A road trip will provide you with just sufficient time to introspect.
2) SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY
For just once, sit and think how many times you went out on a dinner with your family in the past few months. Now compare it with the number of times you went out with your friends in a month. No, it’s not for checking your calculation skills. Rather, the answer will make you think about your priorities. Surprise your family by organizing a warm Sunday get-together and see how excited they’ll be to spend time with you.
3) LEARN TO APPRECIATE
Give joy, hopes and small tokens of love to those who care about you. Give sweet compliments to your loved ones as a morning greeting. It will surely bring cheer to their monotonous mornings and a smile to your face. You don’t need an occasion to express your feelings. Don’t wait for a perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.
4) FORGIVE
Does a small act of irresponsible behavior by your friends make your blood boil? Now sit back and try to recall how many mistakes you have committed in your recent past. You might begin to generate thousands of external reasons to support your own behavior but when it comes to others you can identify enough faults that are ingrained in their personality. Believe me at various points in life every person commits some serious, some not so serious and some silly mistakes. The only difference lies in the perspective adopted to analyze their intensity.
5) BELIEVE
Believe that life is too small to regret your decisions. Believe that what you have is the best. Believe that you get what you deserve not what you desire. Believe in the power of self. Believe that you are happy. Because only when you believe in your actions, are you able to enjoy their consequences to the fullest. Take charge of your own life and believe that only you can make it better.
And after doing all this you’ll realize that happiness is something you enjoy when your soul is in sync with your mind. When you are able to listen to the echo of your heart beat. When all your instincts are rejuvenated with greater enthusiasm and most importantly when you begin to enjoy every moment of your life and love every aspect of your being.
As they say, quiet the mind and the soul will speak.
