Isn’t Happiness The Ultimate Goal?

Posted: June 29, 2019

I want to do something, I want to do something Big in life. These words keep floating in my mind. But I could never actually find an answer to what Big I wish to do in life?

I came across the famous lines by Mary Oliver “Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life ?”

The question made me think hard what I actually want to do in my life or how it has been till today. I sat down to analyze my past and assess my achievements or regrets in life.

My achievements in Life so far

When I was doing my studies, I and my parents always wished for my good education followed by a good job. By God’s Grace, I could achieve this. I did my Masters in Physics and am having a respectable job for the last many years.

After I got married, God blessed me with a cute loving daughter. It is the most beautiful form of love on earth.

After many years of marriage and lots of planning, we could finally achieve our own little house also -our small dream house.

Well, these are some of my life’s achievements. But are these achievements really big that I should boast of? Is this all I wanted to do in my life? Is this all God sent me on this earth for? To make money, have children and collect things?

Now it’s time to think if I have any regrets in life

I think everybody has one or the other regrets. I am no different. I couldn’t get a job in the area of my interest, I couldn’t move abroad like some of my friends, My bank balance seems in no mood to fulfil my ‘travel the world’ wish, as it is busy feeding my home loan account.

But today Mary Oliver’s question made me think hard- if I could achieve all these things then would these have proved my Big Achievements? A rich bank balance and a world tour would define my precious life?

No doubt all these things are important in life. Good job, good family, own house, own car, family’s health, good bank balance, they are important part (and necessary also to some extent )of our life. But does our life revolve just around these so termed Big achievements?

Does my precious life revolve just around money?

My mind ponders

Is it not always precious whenever I spend some happy/emotional /loving/caring moments with my family or friends? Even the sad moments shared together are valuable. The emotional bond becomes stronger, plus the sorrows get divided when we share.

Was that not precious when a beggar was shivering with cold on the roadside and I had the financial means to donate him a blanket?

Was that not precious when one of my students from a very poor family passed his board exams and came in merit? I still remember how his labourer father thanked me with teary eyes. Those tears were so precious.

Was that not achievement when my friend could find an answer to her problem in my motivational blog post? The hug she gave me that day sent many blessings my way.

These were a few moments when God gave me a chance to spread smiles.

“When you spread smiles they come back to you multiplied.”

Nothing else is more precious than spreading love and smiles.

At the end of the day what is important in life is – Did you smile? Did you help someone? Could you make someone smile? Were you able to get someone’s blessings? Do you contend? What gives you real happiness – things you can collect or the things you can help somebody with?

Achieve whatever you want in Life, work hard, accept challenges, learn new skills, but remember happiness is the ultimate goal. Isn’t it? One can be happy only when happiness is inside and around. So work for your inner happiness as well around you.

I want love all around

I want to live the moments, I want to smile, I want to share caring emotions, I want love all around, I want to spread Smiles, I want to see everyone smiling. Yes, That’s what I want to do in my previous life, Ms Mary Oliver. May God grant me many opportunities to spread Smiles! How beautiful the world would be when there is love all around, everyone smiling, everyone caring for the other, no grudges, no hatred, no regrets in life!

A version of this was first published here.

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