If you are not happy now I can promise you will never be.

“You will be your best self when you take time to understand what you really need, feel and want.”― Deborah Day, BE HAPPY NOW!

“Get a good grade & you’ll be happy”, “pass this test & you’ll be happy”, “win this competition & you’ll be happy”, “perform in this show & you’ll be happy”, “Earn so and so & you’ll be happy”, “be so and so & you’ll be happy”, “do so and so & you’ll be happy”.All my life I have been educated with this model, but Happiness was nowhere to be found. Instead, I faced competition, resentment, insecurity, and frustration. If you have been tricked by this model, I can understand you.

Fascinatingly, we are programmed for happiness. We do not want pain and suffering. We want pleasure and happiness. It’s our basic nature. We all want happiness, isn’t it fascinating? But the model we followed before never gave us everlasting happiness. Is happiness supposed to be everlasting? More importantly what is happiness?

Hmmm… What is happiness? Is getting good grades happiness or making your parents proud of you, happiness? Is passing a test happiness or being able to do what you want to do, happiness? Is earning so & so happiness or being strong enough to share, happiness? Is being so and so happiness or being who you are happiness? What is happiness?

Happiness can be anything. Giving a candy to a little girl can be happiness. Opening the door to an old lady can be happiness. Holding hand with your love can be happiness. Doing exercise can be happiness. Reading a book can be happiness. Happiness can be anything. It’s subjective. Your inner environment interprets what happiness is and what is not. My whole point is instead of fixing outside, you fix what’s inside and maybe that interpretation will work differently.

Well, the previous model of happiness was, do this and then you will be happy. Since the previous model of happiness failed, Why not try a different model? Why not be happy first and then do this? Let me explain. You be happy first and then take that test. How do you do this? Instead of studying to get grades, you study to find something new and interesting. Make studies fun “intentionally”. Make it fun. The goal is to be excited about learning new stuff and sharing it. Making it like a game. Now you can do this to any problem in your life. You don’t know how to cook? Fine, make it a game. Break the process down to small steps. Gamify it a bit. Make your work fun.

That’s a superficial reason, but let me tell the real reason why you should be happy first and then do anything. Tell me this when are you active and energized, when you are happy right? And when you see someone smiling, you tend to smile. Depending on the time and situation, might differ, but generally, we tend to smile. Smile generates happiness. You see your energy transmits in this exchange. You spread positivity and happiness when you are happy. I came to realize to get anything done, you have to be self-inspired or people around need to be inspiring. Now you cannot force others to be inspiring, but you sure can be inspired.

The previous model failed to give us happiness at the end of the rainbow. I say find your happiness and make any number of rainbows you want. We never know what happens in the next moment. Why not have the best now? Choose to be happy. The sure and fast way to be happy right now is simple. Be grateful for what you have. Easy peasy. Just be grateful and express your gratitude. Then just see how your life changes. We need to adapt to different models. If this model doesn’t work for you great. Try a new one. It will make me more than happy to see you stand by yourself and question. It means I did what I came here to do. I don’t want to create my followers, I want to create leaders who can lead their lives.

I would like to use this platform to share my gratitude to a stranger who taught me the importance of teaching and expressing. I don’t know his name, but this person came like a gust of wind and disappeared. He said, “Your job is not to be a follower. Your job is to be a leader and make leaders.” So please please, please. If it’s not for you, then do it for me. Take care of yourself. Lead your own life. I know you can. You are enough.