Happiness…

A dear friend and I were discussing the almost obsessive emphasis on the word ‘happiness’ these days and it was refreshing to encounter a different perspective…one tempered by the winds of time…as opposed to the Hallmark connotation we are slowly but surely being brainwashed in buying into! We tend to talk about ‘happiness’ almost as if it were a consumer item! Your ‘next material purchase’ is almost always touted as the sure route to happiness…this is an underlying message in much of our marketing these days…one that is being bought into in definitive and insidious ways…leaving very little room to maneuver in any other interpretations for discussion or discourse…

There are undoubtedly many and varied ways to interpret this most frail and strong human emotion…Webster’s dictionary starts off by defining it as…good luck…good fortune…prosperity! Other definitions cover…a state of well being…emotions experienced in a state of well being…a feeling or condition of the soul…unstudied grace…contentment…felicity…cheerfulness…blessedness…energy and enthusiasm were my friend’s addition! The list is as endless as there are versions of interpretations of this state!  We all perceive it differently on different days depending on our personal moods…changed perceptions…different stages and ages of life, as well as circumstances…we even view it differently on ‘bad hair’ days !

There is I do believe a basic common denominator…based on the core value of this state…and the depiction thereof in our personal spaces of behavior…attitudes…reactions…expressions…interaction! I believe a core expression of this is a positive attitude…which then manifests itself naturally without any contrivance in that enthusiastic energy which we often call…joie-de-vivre! This covers amongst other things being useful…compassionate…responsible…overcoming fears …confident in the conviction of being loved…having spiritual wealth and inner peace…strength of an inward power of the soul…hope…living fully in the moment. This does not mean that those who live life with this attitude have an absence of problems, they just learn to live with the ability and determination to deal with them. We have to remember that happiness doesn’t depend on who we are or what we have; it depends solely on the tides of our mind! We have to keep remembering that happiness is an attitude…a state of mind…a conscious choice…no one is in control of our happiness but ourself…it is not a destination but a journey…because the time for happiness is now, the ongoing present moment…

A summer extravaganza….

I have been holidaying for the last two months…spending time with a beloved daughter…family…and friends! It has been a ride of much joy…fun…laughter…love…socializing…relaxation…contentment…pampering…inner peace…the Good lord be praised! Time takes on different dimensions and forms on extended holidays in distant and varied parts of the world…each place leaving its own indelible imprint of time spent there…with the last leg of this extravaganza still waiting in the wings…

The pace of life on holiday in the comfort of a great home in ‘suburbia’ has it’s own particular character…it is almost indolent and decadent in it’s slow adagio rhythm…quite unlike any big city pace…days seem to slide into weeks almost effortlessly and unbeknownst to the self…this affords occasion for forced reflection and introspection at many levels…with added and welcome opportunities for deeper personal connections…as well as a gathering of oneself, at a pace that is now not quite so readily on tap in our rushed and hectic lives…this is eased and assisted by a continuous flow of love, spoiling and pampering…

A spontaneous trip to a more energetic metropolis added spice to this heady and indulgent banquet. The city on the Bay, San Francisco, exudes an energy and exuberance that is particular to it’s own unique character…the synergy is palpable and exciting…quickening your senses only to be overwhelmed by the natural beauty and lay of the terrain which is quite awe inspiring! Another much planned and finally executed trip, to meet family in another beautiful part of the country was all it was expected to be…a frantic catching up of the years that have gone by…coupled with the most loving hospitality and care….a rushed and hectic trip in a slow and relaxed milieu…

Through it all…the joy of catching up and spending time with loved ones and old friends…added to which was a joyful experience of easing into the beginning of a new friendship…an unexpected meeting taking root in shared and  common backgrounds and experiences…above all, the solicitous care and attention of a loving daughter and family…time seems to have flown by on wings of love…another wonderful chapter in the chronicles of a glorious memory making summer with dear ones…   
  

Japan…

The tragedy that has struck Japan is heartbreaking…the aftershocks…are quite  literally being felt…not only by those living there…but emotionally by everyone across the globe. The terrifying images broadcast worldwide are just that…terrifying in their recording of the harsh…cruel…pitiless nature of natural calamities…It is at times like these above all, that our faith and belief is tested and we have to believe and understand that God is in everything and everywhere…

When things crumble in our world, we try to hold fast to whatever we can in the search for a signature of sense…how comforting it would be if things made sense and we could just slot everything into neat little boxes and compartments…but that is not how life is…it is in these acts of the divine in the play of life that we have to find meaning. It is at times such as these that our moments become more precious…that our choices change…the meaning of our choices evolve…on personal levels and on national and international response levels…

Japan has planned for such disasters…has prepared their populace for such…has developed and deployed technologies to limit damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis…but nothing quite prepares you for…this…because there are limits to what even the best of human preparation can do in the face of…nature! After having said that, the national response in Japan has been awe-inspiring…it is in such scenarios that the acts and reactions of a people are definitively brought to the fore…primarily through what the national consciousness has been taught…their education and respect for discipline and order…for positive reconstructive energy and actions…we are what we stand for…what we endeavor towards…what we believe in…

The search and hunger to find meaning in our lives is an ongoing process…there is a deep craving for meaningful spirituality and faith. In the face of this natural calamity of epic proportion with all the compassionate responses of kind…of prayers for strength and fortitude…we have to bring more of the Divine into the expression of our responses…we have to be more of that reflection of divinity… Our Faith is our highest gift and in these trying times it will be tested…The Good Lord gives us the power to choose…once again…

Memory making times…

The last ten days have been spent in a series of festivities…marking the end of Ramadan…which is always a special time of year! This time it was made more so, as all of us siblings and spouses were together to celebrate this period of festivities…as always, at times like this, I feel that truly…my cup runneth over…

Being together is not just a memory making span of time…but a deeply felt emotional spell…it is not always translatable…but rather a feeling of well being…of serenity…of peace…of being totally at home…a shared bond of similar festivities of the past…a feeling of being whole…touching the very depths of one’s soul…of being…family !

The passing of time helps make these occasions more meaningful, taking on colors and hues that we often miss when younger. Moments are treasured…chuckled over…picturised and safely tucked away in the latest memory making devices…which capture the spirit but not the inner joy of the comfort zone that is felt but often not even acknowledged…but more importantly…all is forgotten and memories are tucked away in the recesses of the attics of our minds, a much more loving space…giving us a strength and energy to face our morrows, often without even letting us know the power of the family comfort zone we have experienced…

The younger ones try not to look on sceptically…try not to raise eyebrows seeing us act so unfamiliarly…try not to shake their heads…but little do they know or understand, we were all there too…and not too long ago it seems…was that really us ? We are the elders now…the circle of life goes on, lovingly touching all aspects of our lives…

Responsible energy…

With a seemingly unending spate of calamities and tragedies  in our midst…be they natural or man-made, one aspect springs forward most disturbingly… a collective state of apathy and unproductive anger and energy! There seems to be an attitude of immediate knee jerk reaction…of  sorrow, shock, sympathy and anger, followed…by no specific concerted, concerned, effective or humane response after the initial one . Then we all go back to our cocooned lives…often demonstrating deplorable insensitivity.

Admitted that individual efforts are not and cannot take the place or effectiveness of a state machinery…but in the absence of such a one…pointing fingers alone is not enough! The effort and passion that more often than not goes into spouting anger, indignation, accusations and sarcasm, to those it does not reach and who are not at all bothered, is a huge waste of energy. This would be far better utilized if channeled to energize any effort, be it small or big, towards a cause of one’s choice…and there are so many in need of this .

When we invest the better part of our effort into finding fault alone…we lose and ignore two major fronts….the obvious one being support for those affected,  the other being, ignoring the individual & collective heroism of those who selflessly give of themselves in the face of  all odds in moments of calamity and tragedy. We have to keep in mind that this apathy and misdirected energy must not be at the cost of acknowledging and celebrating individual and collective acts of humanity and heroism.