Guest post

Okay so here is an insightful post by a friend which I thought I'd share with you people. Please post your comments, if any, here. I'll make sure the original author, who wishes to be anonymous, sees it!

When we were in college we all must have dreamed of what we would do with our first salary. Back then we thought that our first salary would be the source of eternal joy. Although we might have said otherwise, our first criterion for choosing companies during placement was invariably the “package” offered. Work began, we eagerly waited for the 25th of that month. We tweeted and posted on Facebook about the salary getting credited and felt really proud. But by the 28th of that month, we were done treating friends, buying stuff that we planned for, spent it all and within no time lost all the excitement. Unlike what we had assumed, the happiness gained from it didn't seem like a long term thing.

This little incident kept nudging me to find out why that so-called “eternal joy” faded away so soon. What does it take to stay happy? 

It is believed that those who have satisfaction in life are comparatively more peaceful and successful. But satisfaction here doesn't mean being complacent with where you are. It is human nature to always crave for something better. It could be higher studies, a promotion or doing really good work and being appreciated for the same. Ambition is what drives us forward. If we weren't longing for more, wanting to change, we would have stayed where we were. Sometimes even laziness can be a boon when it comes to changing for the better. Some of the most useful inventions probably happened because some lazy guy came up with an idea to make his life easier. I kid you not!

Coming back to ambition, I believe that ambition should be absolute and not relative. Comparisons with others can spoil the benefits of ambition. Some people might be good at singing or sports or public speaking. That is because they were dedicated, systematic, organised and enjoyed it. Accept that fact, try to find out how they got better at it, get inspired and try hard to improve rather than just being envious and sad that we can't be like those talented people. Set your own targets, appraise yourself regularly and ask yourself if you've done justice to yourself and not whether you have done better than others. Trying to be better than someone can be a motivation, but once you do beat that certain someone, what do you do next? Isn't it better to set your own targets than rely on others?

Appreciate yourself and the gifts you have been blessed with, challenge yourself to make the most of those gifts and most importantly, take pleasure out of the little things in life that happen more frequently and you'll find that you’re considerably ahead of your peers in that most difficult of pursuits, the pursuit of happiness. Appreciate yourself and the gifts you have been blessed with, challenge yourself to make the most of those gifts and most importantly, take pleasure out of the little things in life that happen more frequently and you'll find that you’re considerably ahead of your peers in that most difficult of pursuits, the pursuit of happiness.

Just as we shouldn't compare ourselves with others, it’s important not to worry about what others think about us. Happy people are spontaneous, natural and real, they say what they think and feel, and aren't concerned what others think of them. But at times when we feel really demotivated, we should try to find our own individual strength. No matter how weak we believe we are, we have an inner strength that has brought us through several hard times in life. We must reflect on those times and see how far we have come by the power of our own will and determination. Appreciate what you've been able to do, whether it was managing to get a good job, or fixing a bug or even writing a blog post.

Happy people do what they enjoy and enjoy what they do. To be happy, you need to be comfortable with what you do. There’s no point being stuck in a job you hate, surrounded by unfriendly colleagues just because the money is good. Many spend the best years of their lives trying to make money, sacrificing their health and family in the process. Later, they spend the same money they made working trying to recover their lost health and alienated family. Very few of us really stop to enjoy the small things in life. We're so focused on attending meetings, answering our calls, and checking our email that many of us forget that there really is a beautiful world beyond our work space. Every day at work, take some time out, make friends, hang out, sit together and work as a team and celebrate even for small accomplishments.

Something great and wonderful happening shouldn't be the only cause for happiness. If you believe that winning a prize or buying yourself that cell phone or car that you've been wanting so long is going to make you happy, you're absolutely right. It will make you happy for about two hours. Then you'll be looking for something else to bring on that shot of joy.

Appreciate yourself and the gifts you have been blessed with, challenge yourself to make the most of those gifts and most importantly, take pleasure out of the little things in life that happen more frequently and you'll find that you’re considerably ahead of your peers in that most difficult of pursuits, the pursuit of happiness.