Lessons for Happy Life
Somebody has rightly said
“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”
When I attended the orientation program of school for the new academic year, I observed that entire discussion revolved around regular subjects, content, sports, e-learning and some extracurricular activities. Parents looked so concerned about their kids’ future and academic progress. I was also a part of them. We all want the best of course, teaching methodologies, teachers and all round progress of our kids. All round progress-this is a term we all use on and off to discuss future of our next generation. “Sarvangin vikas” is our foremost concern.
But what bothered me was, what about life lessons??What about exam called life??We are preparing our kids to be well learned, well versed with theories and facts. They are being trained to give academic exams. But what about life outside schools? What about real life-Life outside books? Are we teaching them how to be happy???They learn to interact and bond with their friends and teachers. But does our education pattern give them a chance to understand experience and inculcate qualities of love, compassion, patience and be happy in real competitive world.
Minds of small children are crystal clear. They are not polluted with chemicals of ego, attitude, arrogance, competition,jealousy and sorrow.They believe completely what their teachers teach them. But as they grow and move outside their cozy world, they are being exposed to the harsh realities and all kinds of forces start working on them.
If I go down my memory lane in early childhood, I was immensely happy within my small world .Around and post teenage happiness was getting good marks, securing a rank in exam, getting a good professional degree, exploring new avenues, visiting new places making reasonable living, having a good life with family and friends.During my journey I was super happy when I achieved my desired targets and sometimes I got immensely disheartened when I failed. I always wished to excel in everything and it was not practically possible. When I tried to strike a balance between professional and personal life, many times personal goals got defeated and vice versa. As responsibilities increased I realized that feelings of stress, fear, depression, anger, dissatisfaction started making a place in my little world.
Friends ,I feel more or less we all humans go through same life process. Our happiness is more or less associated or dependent upon certain factors and events. We experience cyclical happiness, sorrow, excitement, low and high phases in life
How many of us experience absolute happiness?At some point earlier or later we all land up in situation where we find ourselves in state of unhappiness and unending expectations from life.Many of us keep moving on fighting,compromising, sometimes feeling happy and sometimes being unhappy
When all efforts fail, some of us start looking for answers in a different way. I always felt that study of absolute happiness, detachment, constant happiness, real meaning of life were all meant for people who have neither have interest in life nor possess any materialistic desires. I avoided this aspect of life. I waited for miracles to happen. We have been conditioned since childhood that there is Almighty who eventually makes everything right in life.
But then the rising number of spiritual gurus and ever-growing number of followers point to the fact that people all over world are moving away from the usual course in search of something I have avoided for so long. Whenever I open social networking page there are loads of life lessons from these gurus and I’m amazed by the clarity and simplicity with which they give us life lessons. By simple stories and small messages they make us realize that life is more than what we imagine and experience.
In recent times I have witnessed many near and dear ones turning to spirituality .At first I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. Entrepreneurs,homemakers, socialisers, students and so on.People from different walks of life.They have found solace and answers to their questions through their study of philosophy and practicing spirituality. They are discovering their true selves and experiencing happiness in this pursuit. Hindu religion is famous for this process of self realization. But this study is no more restricted to any specific religion or country. People all over world are turning to yogic practices and study of spiritual sciences. Since childhood we have heard and believed in importance and practical relevance of BhagvadGita. But how many of us have actually studied it?
My question and concern is if this is a proved methodology why is it not a part of our early learning process. Why is this not a part of our curriculum? Ultimate aim of human life is to be happy. Then why not start the basics from early stage. Why is that when people undergo suffering, turmoil in life then only they turn to these sciences in most of cases? Yes, there are many who take up this without any reason or force. But still if we see around,some untoward life incidents, events are more prominently responsible for people moving towards self realization process.
Is it not our responsibility to pass on happiness and strength to our little ones, to shield our next generation from the frustrations and stress which digital world has given rise to. Qualities of being truthful, compassionate, forgiveness, and being helpful are the basic foundation which we can develop in early years of life. Presence of anything if giving happiness, absence of same should not make us unhappy is simple mantra of life which needs to be inculcated. It’s much easier if taught during childhood.
Being ambitious, hardworking is good but being good human being, moving ahead in life is equally important. Life is not just increasing age numbers but growing as an individual too.People like me start understanding life lessons only when all logical reasoning fails. But I feel why wait for this. Why not create an environment conducive to this growth as early as possible??
Simple stories, simple life lessons, simple poems can convey such beautiful message to our little ones and equip them to face the exam called life in a better and little easier way. Before children experience success, failures, achievements let us make them aware that it is important to be happy and satisfied than to be successful in life. They can be saved from the negative emotions and be made more positive since early childhood. They should understand as it is rightly said,"Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.”
