26 January 2019 12:00 am Views - 567
Since childhood we desire to accumulate materials starting from toys to luxury car & a home.
Some also chase behind name & fame.
We believe that acquiring these above contribute to happiness.What a pity, as soon as you acquire these your happiness diminishes. Not only that by endeavouring to acquire more & more it lead to problems & complications. Therefore is it worthwhile chasing behind “Happiness”.
There is a group of people who work hard to achieve things & there is the other group who works smarter to achieve things. If you ask me which is important in life, in my humble opinion both are equally important like our right & left arms. We need to be hardworking as well as Smart working according to situation demands. Irony is that in reality you find a Hard Working individual cannot think Smarter & the Smart thinking individual is unable to work hard. Not only the labourers should work hard also the chairman of a company and even the president of the country works harder.
While both hard working & smart working will give you transient happiness if you focus at a lower level.
As well as if you have low ambition, you will achieve less.and definitely your happiness will disappear as soon as you achieve.
But, if your intentions are higher & bigger as well as you need to help others in your company, neighbourhood, society & country your rewards will be higher than mere happiness.
You will be rewarded with “Great joy & enthusiasm” like the spring of water which cannot be measured by monetary values. It is a wealth simply beyond any measuring yard stick.
There is a group of people who work hard to achieve things & there is the other group who works smarter to achieve things. If you ask me which is important in life, in my humble opinion both are equally important like our right & left arms.
There is another group of people who does not work at all but they need happiness.
They have only “wishful thinking”. These people not even buy a lottery ticket but wish to be a millionnaire and to become happy in life.
Lord Buddha has preached, that “Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to your self and others. Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the light of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by sharing”.
I would also like mention another Lord Buddha quote that “Happiness is not ready made. It comes from your own actions.
So, if you want happiness focus on small & minor matters & if you want joy you need only to work with a broad mind “Joy” will be with you forever.
Apart from seeking “Happiness” many also expect “Success” in their life.
People want to be successful in their education, job, career, family life, business, social life, politics & spiritual life.
Since every one has their own vision for success let me illustrate the quote ;
“The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful” - Swami Vivekananda.
One may ask me now, then what is important in life? What do we need?
Is it “Happiness” or “Success” or Both.
Let me answer your question from a verse from the Bible.
Fulfillment and the Bible
What is the basic Principle of the law of God?
“ Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law,” - Romans 13:10
Seeking happiness & success are to a greater extent a selfish act. But they are mild & transient.
The main objective of an individual would be “only taking or receiving”.
But “fulfillment provides you with joy in abundance” and the individual needs to give or offer to others without any expectation.
Simple acts such as gratitude & thanksgiving, being passionate, lend a helping hand, give, show & express love to yourself, family, friends & society would definitely will yield “ fulfillment”.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this article on “Need & Want, happiness & success are wants.”
“Fulfillment” is a need. That means you may live without happiness or success as they are mere wants. But it is not possible to live without fulfillment which is a need.
This is why the so-called billionaires cannot lead a true life in spite of having a successful business.
I trust that I have resolved your concern on exactly what you need in life.
Hence, in conclusion, you need to focus on fulfillment which will also give you joy(happiness) as well as success.
(The writer is the General Manager of SURGI VISION and a Motivational Lecturer & Life Education Coach. You could contact him via
mravindhiran@gmail.com).