Though one could be infinitely happy by just enjoying being out in nature and/or with their families…and all of their man made material things, there are still millions of people who are unhappy. In the developed countries there one has the ability to enjoy both…man made and natural wonders. Yet still, a majority of people there are pretty unhappy. In the developing countries, where for millions there is a real scarcity of even basic needs, people seem to be a lot happier. There are some people who are engaged in difficult tasks and in warfare, and even incarcerated in prisons, and are still happy! We have just discussed the factors of happiness. Millions of people have them, still they are unhappy. There are millions of others who don’t have them, yet they are happy!
Would you believe that the mere availability and abundance of nature-made and man-made things are not enough? There is something else which should be right to be happy. Of course, it is our mind that must have the right attitude towards and capacity to be just be happy.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” – Milton, Paradise Lost
One can give various examples of how mind can influence our body:
- Pavlov’s dog starts salivating at the sound of the bell without any food in sight.
- If we are tense we often get headaches, backaches and spondylitis, etc
- Heart attacks are directly linked to worry and tension
- Right mental attitude helps in curing many bodily maladies
- By self-talk, motivation and positive attitude, we can become happy and successful
- Through hypnosis one can have command over another person’s mind and body
- Through meditation one can have a healthy body and extra sensory abilities
Our minds have an extraordinary power and as far a happiness is concerned, it has the ultimate power. We should, therefore, have a positive attitude towards life. Instead of concentrating on bad thing in life and people, we should be focusing on redeeming features in them. We should not keep on thinking about past failures and bad experiences but be encouraged by our past success and good experiences. Similarly, we should not be unduly anxious about future as our anxiety is not going to have a positive effect, but we should plan and work hard for our future.
In whatever circumstances you are, you can never have total lack of nature-made and man-made happiness. You cannot completely take away nature from someone; you cannot take away all man-made things from someone. Even if everything is taken, one’s family and friends are there. One’s precious body is there. And, even if you chain someone securely in a dungeon, one’s mind is free. One is free to be happy in one’s mind! The mind is difficult to be mastered by oneself, but it is impossible to be vanquished by anybody, any authority, or whatever conditions or situations.
My Happy Ohm 