While growing up in Nigeria, I had a friend whom for privacy sake would not disclose his name. He was from a wealthy home. He was the first child and he had all the things money can buy. He was the same age with me and we always hang out a lot. His dad was rich while my dad was poor. I discovered that despite all the wealth around him, he was not a happy person. He constantly burg me that he was fed up with the world and that he is not happy with the system. Talking of money, he had it in abundance, his rich dad made sure he never lack anything. But yet my friend is not happy. Most times, he is moody and always alone. He loves to hang out with me because I always give him words of advice. I told him there is need for him to be happy because he is blessed to have a rich dad and that he doesn’t need to suffer like me whose dad is poor. I always remind him that he is the first son and that means when his father dies he would inherit everything.
It got to a stage; I was tired of hanging out with him because he wasn’t the fun type. All I hear from him is “I am fed up with the world.” One night he came to see me, since I was not in the mood to hear his negative talk, I told my brother to tell him that I was not at home. My younger brother told him as he was instructed. My friend left with a message that I should see him that there was something disturbing him he would want to discuss with me. I didn’t go to see him that night because I knew; he was going to disturb me about his negative feelings. My action for not seeing him was something I regretted later and it affected me for a long period. The following morning, my friend committed suicide. He hanged himself with rope. When I had the sad news I was sad and I realised my mistake for not seen him that night. Maybe if I had listened to what was bothering his mind, maybe I would have been able to help him by giving him some words of encouragement and who knows maybe he would have been alive today.
It was then; I knew that money cannot buy happiness. My friend from a rich dad had all the things that money can buy, yet he was not a happy person. His death took a part of me because he was my best friend and he was living on the street with me. May his soul continue to rest in peace.
So what is happiness and why is it that money can’t buy it? Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. First of all you have to know that happiness is not something that we can obtain or acquire. Happiness is not like buying a car, a house or smartphone. Also, happiness is not something that is permanent, that is why we cannot be happy always. Happiness is a state of mind and it result from our thoughts and feelings.
Your happiness start the very day you began to love yourself. All you have to do is be the most loving person you can be. Your present happiness depends on the ability to give up all hope for a better past. You cannot begin to nurse yesterday wound, disappointment or betrayal and expect to be happy. The act of forgiving and letting go will release you from the past. Only then you can experience happiness. Also free yourself of fear, frustration, ego, hatred, anger, tension and above all stress. There is nothing negative in this world, only your thinking makes things that way.
Think about it, when you are unhappy and sad, the whole world suddenly become unfriendly and cold to you. This act no doubt has effect on you. Deep inside you, you feel it and it crush your spirit and your heart. For soft hearted people, they end up crying. For you to achieve happiness on earth, you have to enjoy the present and do not worry what the future holds. That means you should not be amused with either hopes or fears. You should not expect too much so that you wouldn’t be disappointed. You should be satisfied with what you have big or small. Contention is the key to happiness.
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