Chapter 3
The 1st Step
Desire to be Happy
Do you truly want to be happy, or are you lost in the turmoil of life, doing things that really don't matter? Have you thought of happiness? There are people who keep doing what they are doing and continue achieving what they are achieving. Happiness is not a priority for them, so it escapes them. But there are some, who stop and ask, “Why am I doing what I am doing? Why is it that I don't have a sense of satisfaction from what I am doing?” And this makes them ponder further. Many of them introspect and then create in them the passion of wanting to be happy. Finding a source of joy and happiness is far more important to them now, than doing what they have been doing. They have started the journey to happiness. They have taken the first step to happiness because they DESIRE to be happy.
Unfortunately, though most people in this world actually want to be happy, they are too caught up in what they are doing, that they forget happiness. Life escapes them and at the fag end of it, they look back and realize that they were never happy! They were just busy accomplishing their goals, and the pleasures that followed one after the other because their achievements, kept them happy for a little while. Finally, they realize that they were just temporary pleasures, which did not lead to happiness.
So, before life escapes you, it is important to stop and analyze what will give you true joy forever. Of course, we all become happy momentarily with little trinkets that life throws at us. But this is not true joy. In fact, these distract us from the true happiness of life.
If you wanna be happy, the first step is to be passionate about wanting happiness and to place it above everything else. Those who are on the journey need to reprioritize their lives by doing what makes them truly happy, by escaping from the maze of life that traps and consumes them. Yes, most of us get so consumed by life that we lose the desire to be happy. We are busy, but what are we busy with? Soon, we realize that it was a big mistake being busy with what did not matter. What should have mattered the most was happiness, and that was never a priority! Those who realize this are most fortunate. They stop and tell themselves, “I wanna be happy.” They make changes in their lives. They chart a new course that will bring them joy, bliss and happiness. Those who truly want to be happy must eliminate all the 'ifs' and 'buts' from their lives. They ought to make a decision to be happy today, no matter what. There is no tomorrow. They make a decision to be happy today, anyhow! On their journey to happiness, they burn all the exit routes so that they don't give themselves any options for turning back, only to be consumed by life.
If you wanna be happy, make happiness a priority. More important than anything else is happiness. Keep telling yourself: “I wanna be happy.” Put this slogan up everywhere you go and on everything that you see. Everything that you do must have one objective – Happiness. Then, you have surely started the journey towards everlasting joy.
The moment you embark on the happiness journey, there . will be many to discourage you or question you on the soundness of your intention and action. To them, happiness as a goal is weird! They are so busy doing so many important things, that happiness is never a priority. While you transform, there will be many roadblocks, chains and magnets that will try to hold you back and stop you. But if you have started the journey in earnest, then there is nothing that can hold you back.
It is time to move on to the next step because you have now become someone who wants to be truly happy. You are obsessed about happiness and passionate about it. Like me, nothing else matters to you too. You just desire be happy. The second step is to find out what makes you happy.
