Is It Possible To Be Happy In Unhappy Times?

Is it possible to be happy in unhappy times? While it may be difficult, choosing to focus on happier moments can create more of them.

Hearing the sound of the ocean, feeling the breeze on your face, breathing in the aroma of fresh flowers are certainly some of the best experiences one can have. But, will hearing the sound of ocean with a migraine, feeling the breeze with the dust on your face, breathing in the aroma of fresh flowers with an allergic cough give you the same awesome feeling?

Does it mean that our happiness is always contextual or can we just enjoy ourselves and be happy without thinking of the accompanying pain or sorrow? When a child is born out of labour, we only think about the miracle of life; when a long and painful surgery brings a person back to life, we are thankful for the saved life; when the little cocoon loses its identity to become a butterfly, we only admire the beauty of the butterfly.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I never complained to God as to why did this happen to me. However, I always sought to understand my learning out of this experience. Of course there were times when I cried but I would soon start to feel positive and grateful again. I am no Bollywood star, but I am surely the hero of my life as I have not only embraced the positive and happy moments but have also tried to accept the difficult ones and have tried to create something positive out of them. I would be excited to eat food of my choice while the chemo drug would be going inside me; I felt my life was simpler for not having to style my hair. I tried giving hope to people while I was terribly scared.

Let’s count our blessings every day and especially in times of tension and worry. The biggest form of prayer is gratitude. The moment we become thankful, a new ray of hope and positivity embraces us. Let’s sideline the dust and the coughs and focus on the breeze and aroma of this blessing called life as we are blessed to be alive today and enjoying this post!

I believe that God always shows us the right path, though it is we who finally decide which path we want to go on.  We create our own destiny and that is why it’s said that everything is predestined – because our current thoughts, words and actions create our future. I really try to work on this truth of life, so much so that some nights I have slept with this faith that I will get up with my breast reconstructed on its own! So, I have made a choice to get my breast reconstructed will would soon start with the process.

A friend of mine and a fellow breast cancer winner was so worried when she was diagnosed that the first thought she had was that she had to ‘settle’ her kids and her husband. Yup, husband too. So she made a list of all the female friends she knew who were either divorced or single or not too happy in their marriage, to set up her husband with. Today, when she has completed her treatment and is healthy and fit, she can’t stop laughing over what she was trying to do! However, she fought the demon strongly and came out as a winner with her own positivity and faith, and the support of her husband.

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I believe that if we choose to be happy and thankful, happiness and good moments will fill our lives. And happiness is not even something that we need to choose – being happy is our natural state of being. We often say that it is natural to be angry over this or that issue, but being angry is not natural; being happy is.

So, let’s all make a choice to make the right choices and listen to that voice inside us that always shows us the righteous path.

Sharing with you another one from my poetry.

When you feel light

Everything is bright

So why do you worry

About reaching that height

Just take a flight

There’s more to life

Feel the sun so bright

And the drops so light

Enjoy life as a journey

Dream as sweet as honey

You now have a chance

To live in a trance

To feel the tune of love

And fly like a dove

—xxx—–xxx—-

Be happy and stay blessed!

Happy cup image via Shutterstock 

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