Most adults think their happiest time was their childhood. No doubt, children are happy as they have no cares in the world. They are looked after by their parents and teachers. They hardly complain of major physical ailments. As they begin to grow up, their happiness takes a back seat. Many people are extremely unhappy in their old age. Should we follow this pattern?
The causes leading to our unhappiness lie deep down within us. Almost all of us are in a mighty hurry to finish our academic and professional studies and find a well-paid job. Once you get a job, you want to marry and settle down. Then you feel that life is gradually becoming a burden. The cost of living goes up with children’s education, house rent and various other expenses. When you are burdened with such problems, you do not find time to read a poem, short story or see a film. Without your knowledge your happiness begins to wane.
Carl Honore´, a journalist, was rushing to the airport to catch a plane. His job kept him moving from one country to another. When he was at home, his three-year-old son did not allow him to pursue his cherished hobbies. To get over the problem, he started reading bedtime stories to his son. He soon realised that there was nothing better than a well-written story to make anyone happy. He also felt that our culture’s fast living had taken away our happiness. He spent two years researching the causes that led to man’s unhappiness. Ultimately, he wrote ‘In praise of slowness’ to show the path to happiness.
Slow down
Honore´ has taught us that we should slow down a little bit to achieve happiness. A Gallup Poll conducted in the United States showed that people still had time to do what they wanted. We are living in a world where children are rushing from one tuition class to another to score higher marks in examinations. They have no time to play with their friends. Even adults have no time for pleasure activities. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Asians put in the longest weeks in the world. They work for 46 hours a week compared to 38 hours in France.
Despite the risk of stress, many people like to be at work. Even those who do not feel fit enough to work rush to their workplaces. This is mainly because they are rewarded for their long hours of work. At some workplaces, employees keep on working beyond their scheduled hours to earn some extra payment. Such employees make friends in the workplace and completely forget about their families. They have no time to read books and newspapers or see films. Their constant work leads to stress in the long run.
We have often heard of workaholics. Honore´ has coined a new term ‘Speedaholism’ which is worse than ‘workaholism’. Time has come for us to appreciate the present moment than killing ourselves for an extra payment. Honore´ has consulted Zen masters and attended the annual conference for Deceleration of Time in Austria and a school in Tokyo where students were encouraged to learn at a less suicidal pace than their peers. In Italy, he met advocates of the Slow Food Movement.
They believe in preparing and enjoying a meal using locally grown vegetables. If you walk into any restaurant, you will see people wolfing down fast food without any care for their health.
When it comes to eating food, adopt a calm attitude. Honore´ was a sports fanatic who used to play tennis regularly. However, he found time to play even hockey. With all such activities, he used to read bedtime stories for his son. He found it more fruitful than sitting in front of the television like a couch potato. He says we should take short breaks of ten minutes in between our tasks. It would help us to gauge the quality of the moment and slow down a little. He advises people not to eat in front of the television.
Once you discover the activities that defy acceleration, half the battle is over. You can defy acceleration by engaging in meditation, gardening, reading, writing, listening to music, kite-flying or even bird-watching. In crowded cities, there are hardly any birds to watch except crows. For bird-watching, visit rural areas once in a while. All these activities will help you to avoid distress and reconnect with nature. If you are interested in bird-watching, grab your binoculars and engage in this wonderful pastime.
Another method to be happy is to concentrate on breathing. Listening to your own breath will have a salutary effect. Breathing is the foundation for meditation in the Western tradition. A lot of people do meditation in the East and the West. If you are interested in conventional meditation, you need a guru. As philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti says the most important moment in your life is ‘NOW.’ Avoid living in the past or in the future because they are futile attempts. The present moment will flee with the speed of lightning. Therefore, do not waste the present moment which is unbelievably rich. A lot of things can happen in that tiny parcel of time.
Present moment
We can truly enjoy the present moment which will give you flashes of inspiration. Do not become too caught up in planning, scheduling and trying to control every moment. You will get a little thrill when things happen spontaneously. Most of us have not travelled to every little corner of our own country.
Get lost in an unknown territory and enjoy the sudden twists and turns of events. The only way to break the day’s humdrum routine is to veer off the beaten track and let yourself go. If possible, spend a few days in a rural surrounding climbing trees and swimming in rivers. When you do so, you will be transported into uncharted territories. Once in a while, unplug yourself from the rest of the world to enjoy life to the full.
