Ongoing with life

This week has been hectic and truly arduous, but that's not stopping me from being my normal self and talk in this post about the importance of being happy and content! Happiness, as they say, is a state of mind!

I am currently reading, among others, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, which more than once illustrates the feeling of true happiness, gratitude and cheerfulness of a young loving soul confined in hiding! I'm truly amazed at how wonderful people, especially children can be in expressing their true feelings and desires!

It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again -- Saturday, 15th July 1944

My rare evening walks have been rendered even rarer, but then I do not really regret since I know life has many passing phases and cannot always remain the same! Equilibrium, it seems, should not always be attained, for it brings entities to a grinding halt!

While the monsoons have come calling in bits and pieces, the rains continue to remain elusive, threatening the city's water table levels, a lifeline which is much needed at this point of time. However, a few drizzles have turned the city lush green. But, there is a certain lull in my life which is quite tiring! I do not seem to get a lot of time for myself, to think, introspect, to look up at the clouded skies and watch the bats fly to roost in the evenings! The monotony is excruciating but also provides me a great deal of learning in my area of work, which is very welcome.

Mornings are wonderful, as ever! The short walk to the gym, the refreshing work-out, the walk back home and the luxury of the yet unspoiled air swishing on my face are rich perquisites that are enough reason to remain happy and calm. I do nonetheless wish for my tired nerves to be more relaxed! In any case, it makes not much of a difference, for I have, for quite sometime now, been successfully practicing the art of detaching personal and professional lives, either of which are important I realize, if not in equal measure though.

But I will not complain, as I'm truly happy for going through the grind and coming out a successful learner, if not always a winner, which I realize is more important.

"As long as this exists," I thought, "and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts, I cannot be unhappy." The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then thee will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles -- Wednesday, 23th Feb 1944

Most importantly, my happiness arises from no association, reason or object. It is, I realize, unconditional.

Happiness should be elementary, perpetual and not associated with any material object, don't you agree?

Tomorrow being a Friday, is a certain source for some unparalleled happiness ;)

Footnotes:

The Anne Frank Museum

The Anne Frank internet guide

FYI - The emboldened italicized portions in the post are excerpts from the book!