WHEN America got its freedom, something that the founding fathers enshrined in their constitution was the right of every American to pursue happiness. It sounds good, but what the people found was that the pursuit of happiness wasn’t as easy as it sounded. I’m going to tell you a story: This story is about a beautiful, expensively dressed lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt that her whole life was empty, it had no meaning.
So, the lady went to visit a counsellor to seek out happiness. The counsellor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors. The counsellor then said to the rich lady “I’m going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen to her.” So the old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story:
“Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody. I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life.
Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got some milk, and the kitten licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and, for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, may be doing something for people could make me happy.
So, the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don’t know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I’ve found happiness by giving it to others.”
When she heard this, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy. Happiness is not a destination, it’s a journey. Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now. Happiness is not dependency, it is a decision. Happiness is what you are, not what you have. The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are but on how happy you can make others..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
