Happiness is such a cliché term, but ironically also the most important thing.
In the present generation, everything has become a competition. One needs to be constantly running the race of life to survive in this world. Happiness seems to have taken the backseat, but has also become something that every human beings need.
Almost year after year India has been ranked among the saddest countries across the world by The UN’s world happiness report.
The UN’s report which has been measured based on certain tools and factors might not be consistent and hold true in case of every country, but we millennials in India sure have a lot going on and we can relate to this.
Let’s have a look at why we are not able to be truly happy:
- Peer pressure: One of the main factor bringing down the youngsters these days are the peer pressure they are facing. I would rather say we are subjecting ourselves to such peer pressure and forcing ourselves to be better than others. Sadly, these days we are not measuring our success based on what we have personally achieved but based on what others have achieved or not achieved.
- Social stigma: Indians are not new to this. We are brought up by forcing us to believe that we are obliged to the society and we should never do things that are not approved by the society. But, who makes the society? Who are we obliged to? We will never know. But the truth is we all are a part of the society and we can change the society if we are good and kind to each other. But will we ever do that?
- Unawareness: I would rather call it as “Selective knowledge awareness”. If we do not understand how a certain thing is done or if we are not used to a certain way of living, it naturally becomes “unacceptable”, “bad” and what not. Why? Because it is easier to hate than to love. Hate spreads fast, but love takes its own sweet time. But love is everlasting and always stronger than hate. Start by giving love and you will see how the world loves you back.
- Judgement: Right? You know how it is to be judged? Your friend knows it, your neighbour knows it, and even your pet knows it, because we all go through it. Every other day. It is easy to judge a person, but it takes real character to understand the situation of a person. The world will be a beautiful place if we stop judging others. Because one day we all will be in a position where we will want others to accept us and not judge us.
- Fake emotions and intentions: Raise your hand if you have come across a fake person. What? All of you raised your hands? All of you have come across a fake person? It is not a shocker because fake people are everywhere. We believe so much in a person and they end up stabbing us with knives. They make us lose faith in humanity. One rotten apple in a basket full of good apples is enough to spoil the other apples, but one good apple can never survive in a basket full of rotten apples.
- Employment: It is one of the main reasons behind why the citizens of India are not genuinely happy. The employment situation in India has been deteriorating over the past decade, which has unfortunately affected the working class and middle class of the citizens. This forces the citizens to take up odd jobs which pays them marginally which is not enough to even afford meal once a day and other basic amenities, let alone making them “happy”.
These are just a few factors that can be pointed out as reasons making us unhappy.
Let’s also look at how we can try to be happy:
- Focus on yourself: Let’s not look at others and envy what they have and rather focus on our positives. You must have heard this before, so it might sound boring, but it is the first step towards becoming a better human being, so let’s start from there.
- Stop the rumours: You heard a rumour about your colleague, your classmate, your neighbour? Good for you. But do not be the person who spreads it further. Be the one to break the chain. The good will come back to you as a boomerang. Never talk ill of anyone under any circumstance.
- Do not judge: You heard something unusual that you haven’t heard before? You are not used to seeing people do certain things? It’s okay. Just refrain yourself from indulging with anyone or anything that makes you uncomfortable, but please do not judge. You never know what is happening. So you don’t even have to help them or support them, but the least you can do is not judge.
- Let others grow: Do not envy others growth. No one has ever succeeded by putting others down. If you do not want to be associated with the person or anything related to them, just walk away from their life which will give the both of you peace. But never try to put them down. Do your thing.
- Stay true to your words: If you cannot keep up a promise, do not make the promise. Do not get excited and give false promises and lead them on. Prevention is better than cure. It is always better to feel bad for saying ‘no’ to a person rather than regretting it later where you have landed yourself in trouble.
These are some of the basic things that always helps us in making ourselves better. But it is eventually in each of our hands to keep ourselves happy.
Each of us go through our own things and it is different from each other’s problems.
Talk to your loved ones and explain what you feel. There is always a solution for every problem. Just open your eyes and see it. And most importantly have patience.
It takes days or months to build a mansion, but just a matter of few minutes or hours to destroy it. If you cannot be the reason for someone’s happiness, it is still fine but don’t be the reason why their happiness is destroyed in any way.
Your happiness is your responsibility. Go earn it. Do not wait for it to come your way.
Love conquers all.
