We want to be happy.
We want our kids to be happy because, when they are, we will be happy. Or happier.
Our entire life is a directed quest to ‘find’ happiness.
We seek it here, we seek it there, we’ve learnt to seek it everywhere like Frenchmen after the Scarlet Pimpernel.
We go on vacation to exotic locations, we try extreme sports like free climbing or big wave surfing, we scroll through our Netflix queue to find entertainment, we check out new restaurants and seek novelty after novelty in our pursuit of happiness.
Here is an interesting anecdote.
A professor asked the 30 students in his class to blow up a balloon each, tie them closed, and write their name on it.
He then mixed them up and asked each student to find their balloon. They got five minutes to do so.
A mad scramble ensued as students picked up balloons, saw it was not theirs and discarded them. They bumped into each other and some scuffles broke out.
At the end of five minutes few had found their balloons.
He then repeated the experiment with a twist. Each student picked a balloon at random and then gave it to the student to which it belonged.
Inside of two minutes every student had their balloon back.
Happiness is a little bit like that.
Focus on finding your own, and it eludes you.
Try doing your little bit to make others happy, and your own happiness will find you.
I have told you often enough that the only lasting happiness comes when you have become one with the Self.
That is true. But till you get there, this is a pretty good hack.
Peace!
