philosophy

Our contemporary world seems to be lost into a desperate quest for happiness. Yet it seems the more desperate we are to pursue and catch a glimpse of happiness, the more it is actually vanishing from our all day reality.

French poet Paul Fort seems to summarize it very well in his short poem entitled Le Bonheur (Happiness) in which it clearly appears that the more you run after it, the more likely it is to escape.

Many people confuse material wealth, a concept of comfort, stardom, glory, glitter, admiration from other people with happiness.

Let me tell you: if you are seaking happiness within material possessions, you are very likely to be disappointed for good. Aren’t spoilt kids the unhappiest human beings on earth? In appearance, they have nothing to complain about, but the truth is, that the more you have, the more you will want.

Jesus, in his simplicity, told people that there are more blessings into the act of giving than to receive. Which is actually true: there is no such pleasure for somebody to please others around you. A glance of joy in somebody’s eye can illuminate our whole day.

Western countries are often being told that they are happier than Third World Countries. Don’t be so sure of it. Without denying great difficulties and the misery developing countries are often facing, I’ve seen more smiles from African folks on live TV reports and on magazines then the ones I actually acknowledge from passants in the streets of the cloudy City of London, for instance.

Happiness has nothing to do with our wealth, nor is it linked with external cicumstances. Happiness is a state of mind.

I am not telling you that it is easy to be happy, nor am I trying to say that you can be permanently happy. But you can merely try to be content with what you have.

Stop contemplating the half empty glass is a great step forward.

My own secret of “happiness” relies in the very simple pleasures life has to offer, like sitting at a Café’s terrace after a hard day’s work. I then like to watch the sun going down while smelling the taste of a good quality Columbian coffee.

Writing is another of my secrets of “happiness”. Writing in itself makes me feel unique. The feeling of freedom that overwhelms me then is close to the concept of happiness. Also, there is no such pleasure than helping and pleasing readers through my articles. When I manage to do it, I feel accomplished.

The very truth is that there is no recipe for happiness. There will always be rainy days followed by the shiny ones. All we can do is trying to get close to the concept by a positive attitude towards life.

Don’t look for happiness. Simply live your life to the fullest…do what you can and try to be happy!

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling
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