Chapter 8
The Final Step
Be Happy Always! It’s a Choice!
Be Happy Always! It's a choice. You have reached the last step of the happiness journey. The challenge now is to be happy always. You have been enjoying the positive vibrations that came from pulling the happiness triggers. You have a clear map. You are passionate and truly desire to be happy. You know what is going to make you happy and you know what you must do. You are also aware of the joy stealers. You are all set. You must now choose to be happy. The challenge however, is to be happy always. It is not enough to have intermittent spells of happiness. Happiness must be continuous and in abundance and this is possible if you have clearly understood the 6 steps.
Remember, happiness does not depend on material possessions. You may not have everything, but you can still be happy if you know how to pull the happiness triggers as well as know what gives you happiness. Doing so, you are moving one step closer in the journey of joy.
The key to being happy always is to fill your life with positive energy that will trigger happiness in your life. If you make positive energy a part of your daily lifestyle, you will build a positive attitude, and a life full of positive thoughts, feelings, actions and habits. These will trigger joy into your life and you can be happy always. But, if you are not careful and let negative emotions take charge, then your journey may be attacked by sorrow and unhappiness. Unless you
bounce back, you will sink into misery. The choice is yours. Nothing in this world is more important than being happy. It is our most valued possession that has no price tag. All the money in the world cannot be exchanged for joy and one must value one's moments of happiness. One must treasure happiness and work hard towards being happy always. After all, it is a choice and happiness cannot escape one who is passionate and persistent in its pursuit.
Don't forget the steps to happiness and remember that happiness is the journey and not the destination. Keep your list of happy priorities handy and whenever you feel low, pull one of those triggers and raise your happiness levels. Don't delay pulling any of the universal triggers that can give you joy instantly and beware of any joy stealers that may come, and eliminate them immediately. Happiness can't escape you. It can be yours forever, provided you follow the steps.
Mr. Cheer
Before we end, I would like to share the story of Mr. Cheer. To maintain anonymity, his name has been changed, but I cannot forget the impact he had on me by being cheerful and happy at all times. It may not be wrong to say that I was largely inspired by him to be happy always.
Mr. Cheer was not at all wealthy, but he was the happiest man I knew. He was always cheerful and smiling. Every day, he would go around serving suffering humanity in various orphanages, destitute homes, hospitals and hospices. He visited the poorest of the poor to bring a smile on their face, giving them a packet of biscuit, a fruit or a meal. With his own warm hands, he served them with a radiant smile. He would say, “Be cheerful.” to everyone that he met.
Mr. Cheer did not have expensive cars or possessions, nor did he own much property or have material wealth. But he was the richest in joy and happiness. His life is a testimony that one can be happy without money and material wealth. Mr. Cheer had a clear purpose – to serve the poor and make them happy. To those he served, he was like a Santa Claus, but one that came every week without fail giving away goodies. Such was his life. He did this for many years. One day, he was diagnosed with cancer. His schedule did not change and he continued to visit the charitable homes and institutions, but his condition deteriorated. His suffering increased and as time passed he became bedridden. All through his illness, for as long as he could, he continued his visits with a smile and his trademark cheer.
I went to visit him when his disease seemed to be defeating him. Even in his deepest and most painful state, he was cheerful. He had no regret, no complaints, not even questions as to why he had to suffer with cancer. He still greeted me cheerfully and although, he was in his deathbed, he was cheerful. His attitude made my heart stop for a moment, as it made a deep impact on my life. I knew him for decades, but no words can express the respect I had for him for living his philosophy of being cheerful at all times and making others happy.
A few weeks later, he died, leaving behind a vacuum of emptiness in all those whom he touched. No more would they be able to see this happy old man on his weekly rounds.
Mr. Cheer made a tremendous impact on me. He taught me that you don't have to be rich to be happy. He showed me that if we do what is dear to our heart, we could be joyous. He also revealed his secret: that making others happy was the simplest secret to bliss and fulfillment. I recall what a glow he had on his face! Though his needs were simple and he lived a simple but happy life, he had amassed a great treasure of cheerfulness, enthusiasm, joy and bliss. He carried a begging bowl for anyone to donate to the suffering humanity he cared for. He was not shy to do this, for it gave him joy.
What an inspiration Mr. Cheer has been!
People like Mr. Cheer who live exemplary lives made me realize what true joy is. I have myself experienced this fulfillment and know that it does not come from gold and diamonds, cheque books and property, airplanes and motor cars. Yes, all these pleasures are great, but at the end of the day when the head hits the pillow, if you are not truly happy, all these have little meaning.
Thus at the age of 40, I stepped out of an active materialistic world. I realized that life was more than just making millions, more than adding zeros to the wealth we possessed, more than building a bank full of assets and material possessions. I stopped all that and decided to spend my life doing what made me happy – humanitarian, spiritual and inspirational work. I transformed and rejuvenated my life and the last few years have given me more joy than all the decades that preceded them.
The joy that comes from giving, the love from inspiring others and the satisfaction from serving and sharing is priceless.
Sometimes, I am viewed as a maverick, but it has not changed my decision to transcend from a world of wealth to a life of bliss. Rather than creating pleasure from the things money can buy, I now, enjoy fulfillment from things that money can't buy. While I do agree that money is important to live well, to make a meaningful difference, I