Happiness

I read a beautiful quote some where “Happiness is not about having what you love, but about loving what you have”.

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Reading a New York Times article this week prompted me to think about this quote again.

That article is about those among us who consider themselves Perfectionists and talks in detail about how at some point their lives they end up being unhappy and sometimes even depressed, because of the perfection they seek in their own lives and the lives of the people around them.

According to this article, researchers and psychologists are now feeling inclined to consider “perfectionism” as a serious behavior issue.

Last night while talking to someone online, I was intrigued to think on these lines. This person appeared to be outstanding in many aspects of her life, but still was a bit bitter and not happy despite her very successful life otherwise.

Many among us have abundance of many things in our lives, but we still tend to be ungrateful. I don’t think this is something new in todays world, it has been like that since the ancient times. It is in the human nature.

Holy Quran talks about it in a very elaborate manner in Surah Al-Takathur

“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Competition distracts you
all the way to the grave,
but soon you will know.
If you knew with the knowledge of certainty,
you would see Hell;
you would see with the eyes of certainty;
and you would be asked to explain your desires.

Translated by Kabir Helminski”

I wonder if we can get sometime to look deep inside us and see the root cause of our unhappiness and dissatisfaction? May be the answer is closer to us than what we can even imagine.