15 January, 2005

The happiness index

My friend Charu has been commenting frequently on the various articles and studies on happiness.

As i read them with interest, i recall an equation my father used to tell me when i was a kid. Anytime I complained about how unhappy i was because I did not have everything that my friends had, he used to smile and tell me his formula for happiness and contentment.

"Happiness = what we have /what we desire. To be happy, the answer to this equation should always be more than '1'. There is no limit to what you can desire but there is a limit to what you have. So now it is upto you. You can choose to be either happy or unhappy"

Scientists today have worked out a far more complex formula for happiness . However to me, that piece of wisdom that i received from my father will always remain most precious and everytime i lose my way, i am sure it will lead me back onto the path of happiness.

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