This question has been asked countless times in the course of the history of mankind. The great, the powerful, the ignorant and the ordinary have asked for the roadmap to happiness.
Some have been given the answer. Some have found the answer themselves. But as always, the answer is never outside their heart and mind.
Happiness is a decision. For example, if you are unhappy because you are poor then you must tell yourself that certain material possessions are necessary but they are not essential to the creation of happiness.
Happiness is also a state of mind. You can be roasting in the middle of a desert in the middle of Africa but if you decide to be happy amid the miserable surroundings, you can be so.
It is a crazy thought but it's true. For example, your wife leaves you for another man, your children hate you, you have just been sacked, your house is burned down and you have no more friends left.
You have every reason in the world to cry and wallow in self-pity but if you so wish, you can just walk up to the mirror or just stare into the blue beyond and tell yourself that despite all that has happened to you, you WILL be happy because you are a child of God and being a child of God, everything works in your favour eventually.
Again, this may seem impossible but are you wise enough to see that everything in this life is an illusion. Consider the possibility that if tomorrow, half of the world is wiped out by a series of unnatural disasters, those victims won't have anything to worry about anymore.
As long as you have breath in your body, you can be happy. Happiness, as I have said, is your right. Tell yourself the next time when everything is working against you that you will be happy regardless of the circumstances.
Believe it or not, people are unhappy because they have decided that they have earned the right to be unhappy. They want to be unhappy and they will themselves to be sad.
The path to everlasting happiness is to know that everything and anything that happens on earth and to you, are divinely engineered for your eternal happiness. It sounds idiotic, I know but it's true.
Once you understand the concept al All There Is, you have nothing to fear. You need not marry the most beautiful person in the world. You need not be a billionaire nor do you have to rule a country to find that elusive state of mind called happiness.
You can be happy whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you will be. It is simply a decision based on the divine understanding withe God that you are part of him and no matter what happens, happiness is built into your life.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The world tottering on the precipice of horror
I was having my breakfast this morning when I saw the headline flashed across the TV screen.
North Korea has practically spit in the face of the United Nations Security Council. It was a 15-0 vote for sanctions against North Korea. However, the Communist nation has taken the vote as an indication that it could be pushed into war footing.
Barring against all unforeseen circumstances, we the non-politicians can only expect the North Korea-against-the-world situation to get progressively worse.
For a long time now, Pyongyang has been simmering with irrational belligerance against other developed countries.
Japan has raised its alert level. So has South Korea. It is not a pleasant situation. Nobody in Asia desires to see the situation deteriorate beyond the point of no-return.
Sometimes, situations like what is going on beyond the 38th Parallel cannot be accurately assessed or predicted. But what is guaranteed at this point is that the art of brinkmanship has been played many times before in the past.
This time however, nobody is prepared to lose. The world can actually do with one less high conflict level situation.
We won't go into an unnecessary debate about why North Korea is behaving as it is doing right now. Perhaps its condition could be attributed in part to the new Secretary-General of the UN, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon. Stranger things have happened before.
It is my wish and hope the peace and sanity will prevail before long. I am getting a little tired from worrying about hurricanes, typhoons, regional haze, and then have to worry some more about conflagration somewhere in the Pacific region.
Some of us still have horrendous memories of what happened during the Korean War of the early 50s. It wasn't a pleasant situation then. It certainly won't be any less painful if the unthinkable happens again.
You would have thought that after half a century, leaders of the then participating countries would have learnt a couple of valuable lessons. I hope the world does not have to be taught another painful and bitter lesson in order for other members of the human race to progress admirably in the 21st century.
With Middle East on the boil, and now North Korea furiously engaging in some sabre-rattling act, it is a bit difficult to get a good night's sleep. I know that once a big conflict begins, the political, socio-economical repercussions will ripple across the world, much like a tsunami that we all not want to experience.
Will mankind be able to save itself again as it did, many times in the past? We all pray that it can and it will.
North Korea has practically spit in the face of the United Nations Security Council. It was a 15-0 vote for sanctions against North Korea. However, the Communist nation has taken the vote as an indication that it could be pushed into war footing.
Barring against all unforeseen circumstances, we the non-politicians can only expect the North Korea-against-the-world situation to get progressively worse.
For a long time now, Pyongyang has been simmering with irrational belligerance against other developed countries.
Japan has raised its alert level. So has South Korea. It is not a pleasant situation. Nobody in Asia desires to see the situation deteriorate beyond the point of no-return.
Sometimes, situations like what is going on beyond the 38th Parallel cannot be accurately assessed or predicted. But what is guaranteed at this point is that the art of brinkmanship has been played many times before in the past.
This time however, nobody is prepared to lose. The world can actually do with one less high conflict level situation.
We won't go into an unnecessary debate about why North Korea is behaving as it is doing right now. Perhaps its condition could be attributed in part to the new Secretary-General of the UN, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon. Stranger things have happened before.
It is my wish and hope the peace and sanity will prevail before long. I am getting a little tired from worrying about hurricanes, typhoons, regional haze, and then have to worry some more about conflagration somewhere in the Pacific region.
Some of us still have horrendous memories of what happened during the Korean War of the early 50s. It wasn't a pleasant situation then. It certainly won't be any less painful if the unthinkable happens again.
You would have thought that after half a century, leaders of the then participating countries would have learnt a couple of valuable lessons. I hope the world does not have to be taught another painful and bitter lesson in order for other members of the human race to progress admirably in the 21st century.
With Middle East on the boil, and now North Korea furiously engaging in some sabre-rattling act, it is a bit difficult to get a good night's sleep. I know that once a big conflict begins, the political, socio-economical repercussions will ripple across the world, much like a tsunami that we all not want to experience.
Will mankind be able to save itself again as it did, many times in the past? We all pray that it can and it will.
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