This is my first official post, and I decided to start with this post or topic, because a long time ago, I got advice from a friend, one of my best friends, a person who has great experience in life, knows many things and is someone who I admire a lot. I dedicate this first post to him, as an act of gratefulness for trusting in me and encouraging me all these years.
I believe you will agree when I say that we live in an extremely stressful time. The work, school, relationships, the environment, the wars in the world – pretty much everything puts a tremendous amount of stress on our minds. As a result of this, there was no time in human history when more people were diagnosed with depression or anxiety, or some other psychological-stressful condition or disorder. So where do we go wrong?
We forgot to seek real happiness, instead of instant pleasures!
Yes, simply and briefly, said like that. Instead of loving humans, we love money. Instead of seeking love, we seek pleasures (intimate mostly, as well as drinking, drugs, etc). Instead of searching for having an amazing life, we spend time searching for temorarly meaningless things that give us instant pleasure, but the following days, push us into bigger disappointment, depression or anxiety. So, I challenge you to do one thing, simple but effective. This same thing had been suggested to me by my friend a long time ago.
I challenge you to try this exercise of happiness too, and you have to do it this week. Is there a park in your city or the place you live? Excellent. Go and buy a pack of candies, go to that park, and sit on a bench. Try to sit on some bench where ants pass by. Take one candy for yourself, eat it, and the second one share it with the ants on the ground. Don’t rush, just sit comfortably, and watch. Keep out of mind all your current problems, concerns, work, and family. Put on silent even your phone. Observe and try to understand… What precisely? The secret.
One of the most important ingredients in the alchemy of the happiness is the giving.
No matter how ordinary this looks, it’s actually scientifically based. In a recent study, scientists have proved that people are happier when they make others happy. When we give and try to make others happy, we invest in our happiness.
Yes, giving, but not your body to everyone. Not your soul to the devil with drugs, alcohol, gambling, and so on, but real giving. Kind, pure, full of love. You want to be happy? Feed that cat or dog in front of your home. Share your small piece of bread with the birds on your window or the ants on the ground. Take the bags of that old woman to her home. Buy a sandwich and give some little money to that poor guy on the street who is bagging with a hand in front of him (or her). Help that old grandfather to cross the street or to read who called him on the phone. Do you know someone who is crying? It’s sad? Sit with him or her, and listen to why is crying, because sometimes even listening is all the help someone needs. Do this a few times a week, then a few times a month, and then until becomes a part of your character. And no, this doesn’t mean that you should spend the entire salary feeding cats, dogs, ants, and poor people, but a few times a week or month won’t make you poor for sure. At least, once again, you can see that as an investment in your happiness. Because once you do it and you go to sleep in the night, you will fall asleep with a warm smile on your face, knowing that today, someone was happy because of you.
Being happy is a process that we all must learn, and helping others, and doing good deeds is definitely the way of happiness.