What is happiness and how to achieve happiness- Akriti Singh

"What lies behind or ahead of us is of less importance compared to what lies within us"It is very important to know the gist of happiness. Different sources are responsible for giving happiness.

However, the definition of happiness goes like 'the state of mind in which it is joyous, enjoying all fruits of life'. To measure happiness there is an index devised by sustainable development and solutions network of United Nations as global happiness index. India is also not far behind in this.

We all know to live a happy live there is requirement of money to maintain a minimum standard of living. One cannot be happy in a miserable state of living. Thus it is required that a country maintains a minimum standard of living for its people by providing education, health care, social security, basic income to all. India is said to be the hunger capital as well as the poverty capital of the world. Ensuring these would take us to a path of happiness.

Personally happiness is a state of mind, where an individual seeks it in small things, not related to money every time. Like helping others in small things, provide us happiness. Similarly, doing our duties sincerely as a child provides happiness to the parents and teachers responsible. Doing social work for society, performing good in our profession of life do give us happiness.

Politically, the issue of happiness is exploited during elections. The politicians take up the popular demands of people just to gain votes. At times it is delivered, at times it is not. The demand of 'roti, kapda, makan' comes as a part of this. The member'sseeking vote goes to the houses of people asking for the grievances they face in day to day life. In this way happiness is achieved if the grievances are addressed genuinely.

The role of environment around us is also no less important. The surroundings where we live determine the condition of life. If the area is polluted then the diseases associated with it also follows and thus pain in one form or the other. Living in a healthy environment adds to the dimension of happiness. The contributing factors of unhealthy environment may be noise pollution, air pollution, and water pollution and so on.

Talking in a broad perspective, happiness can categorized in to two types- materialistic and spiritual. The materialistic part can be fulfilled by fulfilment of worldly affairs like money and all. However there are another category of people who are sages living in Himalayas, and they search for spiritual happiness searching for the truth of life. The belief involves oneness of the spirit with God which is the ultimate goal of a man's life.

Thus as seen, there is no one way of attaining the goal of happiness. But there are many ways of achieving the same. There is a need to recognize at an individual level as to what keeps us happy. We should also keep others happy in this sense, as a happy society exists through mutual cooperation.

-- Akriti Singh