How To Remain Happy
Three Rules To A Happy Life
Health is the greatest gift,
Contentment the greatest wealth, and,
Faithfulness, the best form of relationship.
Health: The Greatest Gift
Health is the greatest gift that we possess as human beings. A famous quote from Billy Graham goes like this: “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when the character is lost, all is lost.” It is undoubtedly true. Health determines the quality of life we live. If we suffer from mental or physical illnesses, we will not live happy and peaceful life. Besides, once lost, health cannot be quickly recovered and takes a toll on the remaining life. Therefore, as conscious beings, it is necessary to focus on leading a healthy life. One of the quotes from Naval Ravikant that is very relevant is as follows:
“The three big ones in life are wealth, health, and happiness. We pursue them in that order, but their importance is reversed.” — Naval Ravikant
Personal Anecdote
One of life’s goals has been to run a half-marathon. One of my life goals was to run a half-marathon and cover this in under 3 hours. While many of us run and do marathons, this was a personal struggle for me. On the race day, it was a mix, and the satisfaction of achieving the goal was eternal. It was also an exercise that helped me realize the importance of living a healthy life and the happiness you can derive from it.
Content: The Secret To Getting Rich
The real wealth is contentment. A person who is content with his life is truly free and prosperous. We live our lives running after money, status, or success. It creates a never-ending hunger and infinite desire to keep reaching out for more. Life is never enough, and something is always broken in our pursuit of more. We are always running in our lives. Sometimes it is the next deal, the next meeting, the following interview, the next client, etc., that will magically turn our lives upside down. Alas! That rarely happens. Deep down our souls, we realize the sadness that emerges from the constant run. The targets are ever moving; our calendars are ever filled up; we are connected to thousands on social networks yet are still alone. We end up losing out on many things and become sad in life. If we look at those much less privileged than us, we can get closer to a content state of mind and focus on helping others rather than wanting more for ourselves.
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” –Epictetus, Discourses
Positive Thinking And Happiness
To be content in life, you need to think positively. Positivity requires intention, courage, and inner strength. Positive people constantly remind themselves of the positive things that occur in their lives and focus on things they can control. They do not worry about what is outside their control.
Faith & Trust: Building Successful Relationships
Faithfulness in a relationship is the most crucial aspect of a relationship. Those who are faithful remain happy together and can trust each other in times of difficulties. It is the actual test of one’s relationship. Trust in a relationship breeds happiness and success. Trust emerges from better communication, compassion, and respect for each other. Anger breaks relationships. Learning how to control your anger is crucial to a healthy relationship. Being disrespectful of your partner, lying, or relying on cheating can ruin any relationship. Quite often, we end up in relationships where we cannot understand our partners. It starts to go towards the slippery slope of failure. We are unable to understand the other person’s perspective. We begin to become distant from each other, which eventually leads to a loss in the relationship.
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Cheers,
Ravi.
About Ravi
Ravi is a poet, innovator, and entrepreneur. Ravi got a degree from IIT and Princeton University and lived in Bangalore and California, working at various software startups. He is the author of Be Buddha and regularly blogs at Ravi’s Blog.
