G. D. Budhiraja - The Art of Happy Living: A Common-Sense Approach to Lasting Happiness

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ISBN 978-935-05730-7-5

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While every attempt has been made to provide accurate and timely information in this book, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, unintended omissions or commissions detected therein. The author and publisher make no representation or warranty with respect to the comprehensiveness or completeness of the contents provided.

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Ask any common man what he wants from life and most probably he will say that all he wants is to be happy. And we believe him, as most people want to be happy. They try their best to make themselves happy. They attend lectures, buy books and change their lifestyles in their efforts to find happiness. But do they succeed?

It appears that the majority of people most of the times do not feel happy. This is not the case of only those who do not get what they want in life. It is the same story with people who get what they want!

People with money and power know something that you and I do not know. Money and power do not satisfy the unknown hunger in them. We keep thinking that if we have what they had, we would be happy. Yet we never seem to reach the point where we are relaxed and feel we have arrived. Why should people with so many reasons to be happy still be unhappy? Why are so many people dissatisfied in so many ways? Everyone reaches desperately for happiness but it does not seem to come any closer. Are we expecting too much in life?

You know that a happy life consists of various elements. To enjoy life we need enough to eat and suitable clothing. We need a home for protection and rest. But these are just the basics. Pleasant companionship and good health are equally important.

But even those who have a measure of these things may still long for true happiness. The type of work a person does, or the conditions under which he works, may rob him of contentment. Or there may be conflict between husband and wife or between parents and children. Nor can we ignore the fact that the possibility of sickness or sudden death looms large over all of us. Do you believe that it is possible to cope with these and other problems in such a way that we can find true satisfaction? There is reason to believe so.

Happiness is possible despite all our problems. Happiness is not just an elusive fantasy that occurs only in the movies. Researchers are discovering that we can learn to be more joyful and optimistic. While studying the strong points of individuals (as against weak points such as anger, guilt, fear, sadness), it has been found that happiness not only brings a pleasant feeling, it also has health benefits. It actually protects us against stress and helps us to live a more healthy life. Positive, optimistic and happy people live longer, some long enough to celebrate their centenaries.

How do we attain this elusive emotion? What does it take to be happy? Happiness is not something that can be felt or experienced at a given moment. It is, in essence, the quality of a whole life. Aristotle said that the man who had no need left to be fulfilled was happy.

But what happens when greed overtakes the sense of need. The thin borderline between need and greed tends to get blurred as the acquisitive instinct takes over and becomes the prime mover of human conduct and, eventually, a major source of misery. Plato, therefore, defined happiness in terms of harmony within the soul and equated it with the spiritual well-being of man.