| Life isn't the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I | | | | forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn't it be |
| feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around | | | | nice to look at that board at the end of each |
| and find people who continued to live fascinating | | | | game and think to yourself "Whew! I got a point |
| and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come | | | | today. I'm glad I gave it a shot.", instead of |
| popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere - | | | | looking at it all blank and murmur "Geez, I didn't |
| "How did their life become so adorably sweet? | | | | even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to |
| How come they still can manage to laugh and play | | | | try out. We could have won!" and then walk |
| around despite a busy stressful life?" Then I | | | | away. |
| pause and observed for awhile… I figured | | | | Genuine happiness isn't about driving the hottest |
| out that maybe, they start to work on a place | | | | Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the |
| called 'self'. | | | | year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, |
| So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step | | | | or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most |
| 1 is to love yourself. | | | | sought after prizes in life doesn't always go to the |
| My theology professor once said that "loving | | | | fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even |
| means accepting." To love oneself means to | | | | the best. So, how do you become genuinely |
| accept that you are not a perfect being, but | | | | happy? Every one has his own definition of |
| behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce | | | | 'happiness'. Happiness for a writer may mean |
| of courage to be able to discover ways on how | | | | launching as much best selling books as possible. |
| to improve your repertoire to recover from our | | | | Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean |
| mistakes. | | | | getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness |
| Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. | | | | for a beggar may mean a lot of money. |
| When you are contented with the job you have, | | | | Happiness for a business man may mean success. |
| the way you look, with your family, your friends, | | | | So, really now, how do we become genuinely |
| the place you live in, your car, and all the things | | | | happy? Simple. You don't have to have the best |
| you now have - truly, you know the answer to | | | | things in this world. Its about doing and making the |
| the question "how to be genuinely happy." | | | | best out of every single thing. When you find |
| When we discover a small start somewhere from | | | | yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling |
| within, that small start will eventually lead to | | | | your self "Oh, I'll do better next time", you carry |
| something else, and to something else. But if you | | | | with you a flame of strong will power to |
| keep questioning life lit it has never done you any | | | | persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. |
| good, you will never be able to find genuine | | | | You possess a willingness to stand up again and |
| happiness. | | | | try - that will make you a genuinely happy person. |
| I believe that life is about finding out about right | | | | When you learn to accept yourself and your own |
| and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. | | | | faults. You pass step 1 in the project "how to |
| These are things that happen as often as you | | | | become genuinely happy".For as long as you know |
| inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person's life has | | | | how to accept others, you will also be accepted. |
| become as abundant and necessary as air. But | | | | For as long as you love and know how to love, |
| this should not hinder us from becoming happy. | | | | you will receive love ten folds back. |
| How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell | | | | Again, throw me that same question "how to |
| you… every time you exert effort to | | | | become genuinely happy?". I'll refer you to a |
| improve the quality of life and your being, | | | | friend of mine who strongly quoted- "Most of us |
| whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a | | | | know that laughter is the best medicine to life's |
| friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board | | | | aches and pain. But most of us don't know that |
| exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent | | | | the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz |
| points for that. | | | | then you don't just become happy… you |
| Imagine life as a big score board like those which | | | | become free. |
| are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step | | | | |