Happiness is a State of Mind……..

 Friends, once again I read a beautiful, inspiring story that is so apt with the title: “Happiness is a State of the Mind” and all of us can try to develop such an optimistic attitude towards life. The story goes like this:

“There was a man of 92 years, of medium height, who always took great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home. After waiting for several hours in the retirement lobby, totally calm and not agitated, he gently smiles as he is told by the attendant that his room is ready and he could now shift there. His wife of 80 years had recently died and he had no choice but to leave his home as there was no one to take care of him.

As he slowly walked towards the elevator, using his cane, the attendant describes his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain. The old man with the enthusiasm of an eight year old boy who has just been given a new puppy to play with, says: “Such a beautiful room, I simply love it.” The attendant was so surprised and tells the old man: “Sir, you haven’t even seen the room yet, hang on a minute we are almost there”.

To this the old man again replies: “That has nothing to do with it. It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision, I take every morning when I wake up. “Happiness” is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the décor, rather it depends on how I decide to see it. I can choose, I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to God for those parts that are still in working order.

Every day is a gift and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way. So my advice to you is to deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill. Remember these simple guidelines to happiness:

Free your heart from hate.

Free your mind from worry.

Live simply, Give more and expect less.

Every day is a bonus, it is the way we touch each other with simple truths that spread goodness in the world. Have a blessed day.”

Would you like to develop such an attitude towards life from today onwards……………..