If we carefully analyze our day to day
actions, we should be
able to find the answer to the question,
“What do
we live for?”
Let’s begin the day. Here is the analysis of some typical
actions, which almost all of us perform till the next day.
1. Get up. Why? Because sleeping is no more
enjoyable. Because you need to do something, which is more important, which you
are sure if not attended to will definitely bring in unpleasant circumstances.
Intention
: To seek
happiness by obviating less happy situations.
2. Brush Teeth : O
God ! The same thing every day ! You do it to avoid unwelcome consequences of
not cleaning teeth.
Intention
: To seek happiness by obviating less happy situations.
3. Take Wash : Why? Because you enjoy taking wash or you
want to take care of your body which needs cleaning or may be both.
Intention
: To seek happiness through taking bath.
Intention
: To seek happiness by obviating less happy situations.
4. Go to Work : Why? To take orders from your boss? To deal
with stubborn staff? No! You work because you like the working environment or
you wish to avoid unacceptable outcome of
not working or may be both.
Intention
: To seek happiness through work itself.
Intention : To seek happiness by
acquiring something, which usually is money, that in turn will help you bring
in happiness.
5. Love affairs :
Why? When you are alone, it starts boring you. So you try to seek
happiness, through
love
and sex relationships, from others.
Intention
: To seek happiness through such relationships.
6. Go to sleep : What?
Sleep again? You got up because continuous sleeping could not satisfy you!
Your reply is,
“Yes! But now I am tired of all activities. I need sleep.”
Intention
: To seek happiness through sleep.
You will, thus, discover that each and every action of any
living organism is directed to acquiring his own happiness. The actions might
be in direct contrast with each other, for example, getting up and going to
bed, switching on the music and switching it off and so many others but their
aim is still to seek the same happiness through different actions, for
happiness fades away when you are engaged in the same activity. Let the
activity be any.
To simplify further, an individual remains in certain state
of mind till it finds itself comfortable with that state and tries to change
the state if the prevailing conditions no more yield any satisfaction to it and
if the individual is forced to continue in the same state, in which it is not
comfortable, it faces the situation with some unpleasant feelings like tension,
sorrow, grudge, anxiety and so on. Even the disclosure of such unsolicited
feelings through expressions and weeping is to bring to notice of the persons
around that, “I’m not happy. Could you please change my conditions? Could you
please, at least, sympathize with me so that I’ll feel little relieved?” which
is thus directed to seek happiness. Even if no one is present near by, the
emotional expressions help lighten the grief.
The same is true when an individual is forced to change the
condition in which he is still happy and gives many indications that tell us,
“I don’t want change. Please let me be where I am.”
There are many synonyms for this feeling of happiness. Some
of them are : Satisfaction, Relief, Peace of mind, Thrill, Excitement,
Exhilaration, Ecstasy, Enjoyment, Joy.
In short, happiness is that good feeling which is welcome by
everyone.