Neri, USJ Student
The nature of human beings seeks happiness and defines it in different ways. As a result, I frequently ask myself, “what is happiness?” Mahatma Gandhi says, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Why are people looking for happiness? First, we deserve it; second, we are also designed to be happy. There are two kinds of happiness: Apparent happiness and true happiness. The apparent happiness looks real but does not last long, such as wealth, power, success, popularity, using drugs, alcohol, and gambling. These are only giving us temporary satisfaction. But true happiness contradicts the apparent joy that lasts forever.
So, what is true happiness? It is, in fact, near to us; don’t seek it out. It can be found within ourselves; it is a state of our attitude. I understood this attitude more explicitly when studying Philosophy in Macau at the University of Saint Joseph. In the class, I frequently heard that most philosophers try to look for the meaning of life and ask the question: Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What is happiness? They found it and felt it but from different points of views. I am not a philosopher, but I am also looking for happiness, so I found it from my perspective. When I was a teenager, a high-school student in my country, Myanmar, I thought that if I passed my matriculation exam, I would be happy. Despite the excellent result, it didn’t please me. Until I was away from home, I thought going to foreign countries and studying at a famous university would make me content. But in reality, there are many challenges that I should have expected, like different ways of learning, food, cultures, languages, and so on.
Experiences from my life taught me that places and circumstances do not matter; what matters most is our attitude and the ability to see things as they are. Finally, I came to realise the meaning of happiness from my reflection. Reaching my objectives, always expecting a better result, and dreaming of a bright future was not the solution. The main point is how I think and feel about that situation. Sometimes, we must be aware of apparent happiness because it leads us to the wrong path, as mentioned above. We cannot know true happiness without undergoing attitudinal change. If you have yet to receive your objective, focus on the process instead of reaching a goal because this process will lead you to acquire happiness. Buddha says, “There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path.” So, grasp authentic happiness, do not look for it, and change your attitude.
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