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Chief NeChombo
WE all want to be happy! Happiness is the root of all success. Individuals, families, organisations and nations can fully flourish when people are happy. Happiness is the greatest desire of mankind.
Philosophers as far back as Aristotle concur with the notion that “The purpose of existence is to seek happiness.”
If the mind is not at peace, individuals and organisations become unproductive.
If people and organisations are to achieve their Godly calling and operate at their optimum, there is need for them to fight the devil in the mind and achieve a worry free and happy mind. Happiness is defined by the Oxford dictionary as the state of being satisfied, or not being worried. Simply put, happiness is satisfaction of the mind.
Solomon, in Proverbs 30:15-16 speaks of a grave as never being satisfied. Hence, one has to develop the virtue of being satisfied, or become, literally, like a grave! Happiness is lack of worry.
Why become happy?
In his book called “The Art of Happiness”, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, says: “Happy people are generally found to be more sociable, flexible and creative. They are able to tolerate life’s daily frustrations more easily than unhappy people. They are found to be more loving and forgiving than unhappy people”.
Matthew 5:8 says, “Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Research and general observations have it that happy people or people of stable mind and are higher achievers than unhappy people. Happiness is not given. It is a mental creation. A person can have a new job, a house, a promotion at work or a new marriage, but may still not be satisfied. No one, not even your manager, mother, husband or sister, can give you happiness if you don’t want to be happy.
The good news is that we can choose to be happy or be unhappy. A person in prison could be happier than a free person. Happiness is of the mind. Likewise, suffering is also of the mind.
Happiness is a product of the mind, a goal which can be achieved through practice. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Man means mind and mind means man.
We are what we focus on and what we think, hence we are a product of our mind-set. Unlike animals, human beings have the ability to think and choose what to think. Think good and good will follow you.
Gerard Satvic in his book “Know Thy Self” says, “Man alone is the cause of man’s rise and fall in life. Mind alone is responsible for man’s bondage or liberation.”
Simply put, negative thoughts are thoughts which create worry. Positive thoughts, are thoughts which create happiness. Negative thoughts emanate from keeping a record of wrong in our hearts. Negative thoughts could come as a result of envy, fear, pride, hatred, anger, complaint mentality, ungratefulness, greediness, unforgiving mind and all sorts of sin.
Positive thoughts are thoughts of goodness. Positive thinking is probably achieved by reading, understanding, applying and actively living the advice given in the Wisdom Nuggets down below.
For one to be able to achieve happiness, it is imperative that we should first of all demystify misunderstandings about happiness. It is our human nature to think that happiness comes from material possessions or high positions in society.
Research has it that indeed, material possessions or high positions may give what is called a “bubble gum kind of happiness”.
Put in other words, these things give one, temporary happiness before one is back to their normal level of happiness.
If you think that happiness comes from material possessions, good health, high position(s) in society, good fortunes, job promotions etc, hold on.
Ask why some people with all these things unhappy? They are so unhappy that they have resorted to alcohol and drugs.
They have even attempted or have actually committed suicide. The likes of Robin Williams, Justin Fashanu, Brenda Fassie and Whitney Houston had promising lives with everything they wanted, but unfortunately they did not have happiness.
If you may, take time to think, about all the famous, beautiful, rich and healthy people that you know of, locally and abroad.
How many of them have either taken to alcohol, drugs or attempted to commit suicide?
True and everlasting happiness is a product of the mind. Think good and the mind will produce feelings of happiness. Think bad, the mind will produce feelings of pain.
You are, what you think.
You are what you focus on.
You are a product of your mind
You are what you choose to think.
Chief NeChombo (Mr Langton Chikukwa) presides over the Makaha area of Mutoko
Online Reporter