The conditions to happiness

The thought for this chapter started from reading the book ‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael Singer. The author explains that we keep conditions to our happiness. “I will be happy if I am promoted” or “I will be happy if I get married / pregnant”. He believes that we should instead focus on unconditional happiness. It sure made me introspect. I had myself said “Happiness is a state after the fulfillment of one desire and before the birth of another”.

On talking with my colleague Maggie, she believes that competition and winning our inculcated in our minds. We tend to link achievement to happiness. The question she raised was “how will we keep ourselves motivated if we delink happiness and success?”

Coincidently my husband Pranav came across a book called Happiness Project where the author says that happiness begets success instead of success leading to happiness. I believe the thought is that as we are more happy, the calmness and joy show in our work leading to success.

A higher state of mind is when we are above this to enjoy unconditional happiness – being happy as its our true nature or nature of God. I have lived a long time building conditions on my happiness and linking achievement and happiness. I think it’s time to let go and work on being unconditionally happy and blissful.

Have you put conditions to your happiness too?

Let success be condition based

Let happiness just exist

Be happy no-matter-what

Be happy for you

For us

For Him

Be happy today

Right now

Let that smile shine

Your day and mine

Be happy

It’s a command

And a blessing

(quoted from Sri Sri Ravishankar – last 3 lines)