Secrets to lead a happy and joyful life

Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. Joy comes when you make peace with who you are and how you are whereas happiness tends to be externally-triggered and based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events. 

The festive season has commenced with Christmas and New Year around the corner. Yet, a majority of people are not geared up to enjoy the season. To be precise, they may be mechanically preparing themselves by cleaning and painting their homes and shopping to purchase, but I wonder whether they are emotionally prepared to celebrate it with happiness and joy. 

With things falling into place, we could eagerly await for political, economical, social and communal stability to prevail in our motherland which would yield qualitative and quantitative benefits to the public. If you consider the qualitative aspects, we may harvest peace, harmony and relationships among all communities while quantitative aspects may bring upon enhanced income and improved standards of living, productivity and labour force. Despite the fact that we achieve aforementioned aspects, will it be possible for people to be happy and joyful? My answer for this question is a simple “NO!” Let me justify my statement. 

Since the beginning of the new millennium, dramatic changes, particularly advancement of technology, have taken place worldwide. With these developments taking place during the last two decades, we have technologically advanced more than ever before thus making mankind effective and efficient. 

With technological changes and globalisation, the factor called “hurry and worry” has emerged resulting in physical and emotional ailments including gastritis, stomach ulcers, stress, anxiety and depression. People have become multitaskers where they are unable to complete any one task 100% -- The other aspect is that they do not give their 100%. 

Let it be living, loving, working or praying, a majority of them multitask and do things halfheartedly. They end up meeting disappointments which make them furious and act hastily. Hence, they are not happy or joyful but rather miserable. This is the main reason why, as a country, we top the ranking on suicidal rates. 

If you look at the younger generation, it is inflicted with mental trauma to some extent, which is why I urge leaders, responsible ministers and other relevant authorities to look into the educational system and socio-cultural reforms as we need to think deeply and act wisely to overcome the outlined issues. 

If you want to be happy and joyful, give your 100% to everything you do. That means, when you live, love, work and pray, do them wholeheartedly. Do one thing at a time and complete that task fully. Do not get isolated and engross yourself with technological gadgets such as TVs, mobile phones and computers. Value and treasure your relationships with your family, teachers and peers. Happiness and joy are blessed to a group or team and you do not get them when you are secluded from people. Pray to God at least thrice a day and when you pray, do not demand materialistic possessions, but rather seek strength, stability, peace and power. Pray to gather with your family members. 

If someone had ever wronged you, do not take revenge, but rather forgive and forget as our Almighty God has taught us. This will make you have a peaceful living. This is what we should expect from all communities. Then perhaps ours will be a true paradise nation. 

Learn to understand and realise who you are. Know your strengths and continuously improve them. Know your weaknesses and transform them into strengths. Keep improving yourself and help others improve. Work as a team and improve your family, school, workplace, society, community and eventually our motherland. This is my secret to be happy and joyful. 
Always share your happiness and joy with others. You should know that Almighty God created us to be joyful. Let us rejoice him and celebrate this festive season wholeheartedly! Be happy! Be joyful! I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

(The writer is a professional marketer, strategist, motivational, life education and life management coach. He could be contacted via mravindhiran@gmail.com)