Being happy

You and I are living in a culture of performance. Comparing ourselves with the next person has become a norm. Advertising has convinced us that we should always look better, feel better and make others eat our dust.

Thus the excessive pursuit of pleasure and work. What used to be luxuries once enjoyed only by the rich and famous – like spas to vacation packages to underarm whitening by laser – are now available to the common person, thanks to coupons offering 50 to 70 percent in discounts. After all, we should always look better, feel better and make others eat our dust. Meanwhile, at work, we put in more and more hours each day, in the desire to be more “successful” in life. Besides, we need to pay off all the coupons we’re getting.

This lifestyle can be exhausting, and yet, the truth is, neither work nor pleasure can be solely relied on to give a lasting happiness.

What makes you happy?

When I ask people this question during my talks, they get real quiet and still. I guess it’s because, as simple as the question is, it forces them to think and hard.

So what makes you happy?

If you really think about it, happiness, the genuine, lasting one, cannot be confined to just one single thing. I believe happiness is the sum total of our positive relationships, good health, productive and meaningful work, the respect we get from the community, challenges and even failures in life, seasoned with laughter and joy.

Happiness isn’t really pursued; it happens. Because happiness is a by-product of living a godly life.

Happiness is like a puzzle. Let’s talk about each of its pieces:

1. Positive Personal Relationships.

Men and women are not meant to be alone. You may have all the finer things in the world, but without someone to share them with, you’d feel empty. Even God said that “it’s not good for the man to be alone…” Life is not a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) thing. The people I love and those who love me play major pieces in my happiness puzzle.

2. Good Health.

If you wake up in the morning and find yourself in your own bedroom rather than in an Intensive Care Unit which charges an arm and a leg per day – good for you! Enjoy your good health. Get out of the house. Catch the sunrise or the sunset. Eat good, clean food so you won’t have to mind so much your sugar and cholesterol level. This way, you’ll get more fun out of life.

3. Meaningful Work.

Work is not a curse. We will never be happy unless we’re productive. Vacations may be lovely, but people also want to use their skills and talents to do something worthwhile. Work grows a person’s character. Honest labor gives him honor and dignity.

4. Finances and Resources.

Financial independence, and the ability to think and work like ants are important. Ants invest for the future. They think winter all summer and think summer all winter. They carry loads heavier then themselves, and they don’t allow anything to stand in the way of accomplishing their goal. Managing finances well opens opportunities, eases worry and provides security during hard times.

5. Spirituality and a Moral Compass.

Having a vibrant, personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the biggest piece of the happiness puzzle. I’m not talking about religion – I’m talking about relationship with our Maker. Through this relationship, we have a moral reference for doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong.

There are people out there who spend all their time climbing up the social ladder. There are people who foolishly spend their money and health on things that do not matter. Some live life with careless abandon, without any sense of causality and effect. These people’s decisions only lead to loneliness.

But we need to make sure we make the right decisions, for after all, life is simply a summary of the choices we make from day to day. –Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star)

(Spend two whole days with Francis Kong developing your leadership skills this July 4 – 5 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178330723.)