The lion is the king of the jungle. But, is it the happiest ?

Hi princess,

Every human being at some point of time in their lives, questions the meaning of happiness. So many brilliant thinkers, philosophers, artists, scientists and poets have constantly engaged with the question of "What it means to be happy? " If you are currently at the same stage, do NOT get anxious. Take a deep breath and read on.

Our modern society unable to comprehend the true meaning of happiness has designed several indirect or proxy ways to measure it. Wealth, fame and power are some of the yardsticks we choose to measure happiness. We are surrounded by advertisements telling us to buy that life insurance to lead a tension free life, to drink that can of coke to feel refreshed, to take a an exotic holiday, to buy that shiny car to experience pure control or even more ridiculously, to buy those elegant sanitation fittings to achieve some kind of harmony in life. All products and services give us temporary happiness and leave us wanting more of it. Although there is some correlation of happiness with these parameters, they do not tell the whole picture.

Wealth has a linear relationship with happiness, in the initial stages. But, after our basic needs as a person in a society are satisfied, I think it increasingly becomes less and less relevant. Fame may elevate our mental image of ourselves to great heights. But, when we come to realize that most of today's "fame" is fake, we see the impermanence of it all. As for power, Spiderman said it best " With great power, comes great responsibility."

We see so many powerful, famous and wealthy people lead unhappy lives, yet we do not learn.  Do not be "forced into happiness" by seeing people get new jobs, getting degrees from the best places, or getting married or having children. There is no single key or definition of happiness, it depends on us and us alone. You define your own happiness.

The lion may be the king of the jungle, but is it the happiest? Maybe we are not lions, but tortoises or owls in the jungle of life. There are happy tortoises and owls and giraffes and so on. You do not need to be a lion to be happy. 

I think whenever, you find questioning the meaning of happiness, do not look at the outside world. Ask yourself, ask inside. The world will give you all kinds of answers which won't make sense to you. But, your mind and your heart know the true answer already.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - You make me the happiest person on earth. :)

Am I losing myself ?

Hello baby,

There's just so much daddy wants to talk to you about. So many thoughts swirling in his head and crashing like waves against rocks. I think daddy is losing himself, he is becoming something who he isn't. Sometimes, you sit up and wonder whether you are the same person after a traumatic incident. It may not be trauma in the eyes of the world, but for you it is. It's like a storm which just refuses to die down. It may be you lost your job or your house or a person very close to you.

Today is Navami, I shouted on a close friend pretty terribly. I felt so terrible, so awful. I see all these couples lovey-dovey in each other's arms. 4 years ago, your daddy was also like that. But then, nevermind. I think it hurt me so badly in the subconscious that I let it out by shouting terribly on her. Everybody wants to see me like I was- jolly, cheerful and cracking jokes all the time. But, I just cannot be that person anymore. I still retain glimpses of it, but somehow a different me just creeps in. I am not the same person anymore. 

I don't know if you are having the same problems right now, but I think it is important to be certain and quite sure of the kind of person you are. Self-knowledge is pretty important. What you like, or don't like. The kind of person you are, change that knowingly only for the better. Circumstances do change people, but I think after some time, they get back to what they were in the first place. I hope something of that sort happens to you too and you find yourself again, much stronger, much better and most importantly much happier.

Yours lovingly,
Daddy