Being Happy

'Happiness' is a relative term. "Being happy" further so.
I think how most of us perceive happiness these days, its more of a state of being 'un-unhappy'. When we see we don't have anything to be unhappy about, we claim ourselves to be happy. That's kind of funny, isn't it ? I mean, shouldn't it be the other way round ?
What is happiness ? What does it mean to be truly happy ? Never really while we were kids, were we taught the meaning of "being happy", nor did our parents or teachers sit with us at length for hours to explain us the importance of this five letter word. I doubt either of us has ever really looked up it's definition in a dictionary, unless of course it's meant to be quoted in some formal essay required by some institution !
I think the reason why we weren't spoon-fed the same was cause it was left to us to give this term our very own definition.
Happiness is relative. For a five year old, getting new crayons or a big box of chocolates is happiness (the later would be a major source of happiness for some of us even still though ;)), being praised by the teacher in school in front of the entire class by a teacher might be the source of happiness for a seven or eight year old. A person studying for her board exams might feel immense happiness upon completely the syllabus prior to the expected time maybe. But as and when I start moving up the ladder of age, I start finding it hard to quote such examples of happiness for people. What would an engineer be happy about ? Completing his job successfully ? Going back home after a tiring day of work to find home cooked food and a smiling family in anticipation of his return maybe? But then again, that would be true for all those people who spend the day working, and not just for Engineers specifically! What would a student be happy about? Getting marks ? Attending all lectures one fine day thereby completing a dare set for him by his fellow mates ? Or maybe not attending even a single lecture and partying the entire day ?
It's relative. All of it is too relative. What happiness is to me might be boring to you. What brings happiness to you might not be of that much value to someone else. Best example ? Try asking a sadist what is the happiest moment of his life and you would probably get what I am trying to say.
We always try to generalize things, people. Mammal,homosapien,girl,boy,child,adult, married, single and so on. But happiness? We can't categorize happiness as per any such criterion.
Happiness is not perfection. There would be too less of it in the World then. 
Happiness is being satisfied. Not completely satisfied maybe, since humans have a tendency of not reaching that stage ever, but rather the acceptance of certain things in our life and believing in the fact that they are probably the best for us given the current circumstances.
It is being with the people you love and cherishing those moments all throughout.  

Happiness is not what makes you laugh, rather it is that little feeling that brings a slight smile to your face and makes you look forward to the next day, even if it is in the tiniest way possible.

Think Before You Speak

The title of this post is not something new. it's not a path breaking discovery made just seconds ago. It is probably something that we grew up listening to most often. This line was, I guess, one of the founding stones of our values taught to us by our parents, grandparents, elders, everyone. 
It was for me. I believe it must have been for you as well.
Either way, we know this, there has been many quotations written about this and we keep getting ticked off for saying wrong things at wrong times because we don't think carefully before voicing our opinions. 
What is going on in my mind right now is not the fact that people speak before thinking or that people don't understand the implications of their words on the other person. What I am thinking is how people don't realize whether saying something is apt or not ! It's about how some people fail to understand the situation in which one ought to talk about certain things.
I'll make myself more clear. I am not asking people to reflect on what they are saying or not to speak their minds out. Do that ! One must do that ! One must speak out what they are feeling, what they feel like expressing. What I am saying is that there is a time for everything ! There is a situation for everything. 
I am not saying we should think about the content that we are about to voice out but rather pay more focus on the environment that we are presently in and then decide whether or not it is apt to say the same ! 
The Chinese proverb "Don't speak unless you can improve the silence" is such because of some reason. 

While we are on this topic, you know, there are even certain people who think it is completely mandatory, absolutely essential for you to know their experience-filled advices. It is a duty performed by their soul to remind others of the areas in which they might falter, give highly knowledgeable advices on how to live life right, and how the World would begin seeming a much much better place had everyone begun living the way they did. It amuses me to think how such people always seem to have an opinion about anything and everything, how they can criticize people so easily and how they feel immensely satisfied performing the task of the IKnowWhatsRightForYou kind of a person. 
Approaching someone and listening to something sensible being said in response to something expressed by you is one thing, and having someone come up to you without having the complete knowledge of the happenings of your life and listen to things that seem right according to them is a completely different thing.
As much as I like both, I would prefer the first one anyday ;)

Yeah, think before you speak. Everyone might not be interested in everything you say all the time.