Monday, October 26, 2009

IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS




This is a comment made by me in one of Rain MacSweeney’s posts. I am sure you will have plenty to write about the subject.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree some people or rather most people would dwell on misery and make their lives intolerable and spread gloom all around. They should be avoided at all costs. They make a mountain out of a mole hill although most of the fears never come true.

It is our responsibility to find freedom and happiness in this short life. We owe it to ourselves to be happy and contented and striving for the best, always trying to break some records, do something new which will give us thrill and satisfaction. We had this quality is us when we were young but somewhere along the line as we grew up we lost this gay abandon, joy of life and became like robots and machines unable to appreciate the beauty all around us. The sun is still rising and setting but we refuse to see. The rose is always beautiful but we are blind. The birds still sing but we don't hear. What are we doing to ourselves? We wallow in self pity, negative thoughts, assumed difficulties and problems.

You have opened my eyes,ears and mind. I have to do a lot of things to match up to your advice although I am striving to change, to do my best, to do something new. The only problem with me is the ability to persist in what I do, to put in that extra effort to achieve what I want, to go beyond my limit, to strain my brain and brawn. Compounded with all these handicaps I also also have a lethargic attitude. So I am neither here nor there. Willing to do but incapable of doing since I do not posses the grit and determination. And life goes on, Rain:)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be thrilled to hear your opinions on my comment. After all it is a matter of learning from each other.



17 comments:

Brian Miller said...

joseph,

wonderful pics as always. there is a certain something to growing up...in our chase of maturity we throw off too much that is unnecessary...the ability to play, create, imagine...thinking they are not useful any more. i tend to think those are the things that help us have faith, hope and love for today.

hope you are well.

b

Satheesh Kumar said...

I agree with you.One needs to be happy and have a clear mind,for him to keep a goal and work hard to reach that goal.A person whose mind is full of stuff can never concentrate on his goal.Rather it makes him mentally crippled.
And when our circumstances force us to get indulged in misery,it is unwise to blame God
or someother for our difficulties.
Every pain we face in our life is an opportunity given by God to make ourselves unique from others.And so we must enjoy the pain.As the saying goes-No Pain...No Gain...
Many thanks for such a nice,informative and thought-provoking post.Have a Great Day....

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Hi Joseph, I totally agree with what you wrote, to be happy and have peace of mind is essential in life, If you're happy it rubs off on people around you, Ok some days you have one that is quite impossible but hey tomorrow is another day and a new start.
Loved the pictures.
Take care.

Yvonne.

Danielle&Hannah said...

Hi Joseph,

We could all complain couldn't we... but our perspective (reflections on our life) determines our potential... or better said, 'Attitude determines Altitude'.

We all have so many things to be thankful of and if we knew really just how blessed we are - we would NEVER complain!

For me, the cup has got to be half full - not half empty - because how miserable would life be? I love being positive, it is what helps me each day!

Danielle :)

A New Beginning said...

Hi!
I totally agree with you, life can be made beautiful, its in our hands to wake up and take in the positive and stay away from the negative, Childhood is a time when life seems to be a gift to be enjoyed but unfortunately we lose on our excitement as we grow up and take up small things to make big issues outa them,without realising that this would fill our life with grief and unhappiness.
Life is to be cherished, its a blessing for those who take care of it and a curse for those who waste it over trivial matters.
Thanks for the beautiful thought provoking post!

amatamari© said...

I think it is more important to understand the precious gift that is life,after what is happiness
and how I can be happy if others are sad ...
How do I use my life?
The great road starts with a small step ...
:-)

Thanks for the post very interesting and beautiful pictures!

Amrita said...

Very good comment Josephji.

I like the phots, specially the two sleeping men.

J P Joshi said...

Read your post.. enjoyed the contents of your comment and the beautiful photographs. As a matter of fact, I had just finished writing the following comment about children and how much they can teach us to live life fully and came to your post to read nearly similar, but diverse views. Agree with you. My comment is reproduced below.

"A very happy but belated birthday wish for your daughter... a beautiful post.. enjoyed reading it doubly... as we are with our grand daughter and are once again amazed at how much a child can teach us on how to live, while we try to impart knowledge and wisdom to it.

Our children taught us and the lessons were soon forgotten...now our grand daughter is teaching us the power of a smile, living life in the present, recognising God's creation - big and small without biases. Hope these lessons stay with us...

Yes, a child is the best gift of God and is every adult's raison d'etre.... so rightly put across in this refreshing post...grand children are even better because they come at a time when one think how wise and mature he/ she has become........ Loved the post."

How true.. can relate to it. Thank you for sharing.

Margaret Cloud said...

We do need to be happy and very productive. I feel for the people who are depressed, they miss out on the happiness of life and dwell on negative things, sometimes I wonder if they like to be in this state of mind.

Anonymous said...

I have come over to thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving a comment-so often, when a comment is ommitted-a new blogger friend is missed.

And here I have found a gem, not only beautiful pictures but wise words. Yes, many of us do seem to have lost our Joi de vivre and that is sad. As you say, the joy of nature is a wonder, missed, when we bow our heads.

Dianne said...

thank you for your visit and lovely comment which was so in sync with this post

it is wonderful when thoughts connect by pure chance

Elizabeth Bradley said...

Thank you for dropping by my blog. The book I mentioned is very good, I began reading it last night and could hardly put it down. I am not always happy per se, but I do my best to be cheerful and pleasant with those I come in contact with on a daily basis. I find that even if I'm not in the best of moods, after a few upbeat exchanges, I come to a happy state of mind. Great blog you have here.

Nicholas Garcia (Nick) said...

Hi Joseph, I know I've been spreading my attentions way to thin. Well there is bit of a story that should shed a little light. It all began a month ago, the keyboard delema. No big deal, right? Wrong, two new keyboards later and I'm still having trouble.

may I interject here. You might have noticed the ease at which I am typing and the abundance of words. Yes a bit more long winded. That is good for me , but I don't know how it goes for those who have to listen to me.

I can say it , the computer, is on the road to recovery. You know how things seem to get worse before they can get better? Murphey's Law, he never cuts me any slack.

I'm guessing it was time learn some things or is it relearn some things? You know those life lessons they can't teach you in school. How could they? Each of us has a lesson book , written just for us. And we go through it at our own rate. Lord knows I'm not the best student.So we do it again and again. As many times as it takes.

Anyway, I need to make a long story shorter.So here goes. As you probably guessed the keyboard was just the tip of the ice burg. Came home one day, turned on the computer it went hay wire Talking major crash. I've had minor fender benders on the darn thing.No, this took me down to almost an empty disk. Eight hours later it started to look and act right. It's like I had to feed it information piece by piece. I'm sure there where easier way to fix it. But for one thing I'm a cheap bastard and don't like parting with my money. And two it felt pretty darn good to get it up and running.

So there you have it Joseph my story. Thanks for coming along and back on track. Nick

Mark D. said...

Great photos -- I always get an education when I visit your blog, Joseph.

Henry David Thorau (an American writer of the early 19th century) wrote that "most men lead lives of quiet desperation." I think that many people choose to dwell in misery because that is what the see all day, it is what they know. Poverty, disease, loneliness -- all these things are so prevalent in our world today. I think it is easy for people to become trapped in suffering, to be unable to work through it or accept it or offer it up. I know in my own life this has been true (although I have not suffered nearly as much as most).

Thanks for your post, Joseph. As always, your posts get me thinking...

FCB said...

Hi Joseph,
The thoughts here are very interesting and for the most part are common to man, it seems to me. It reminded me of a quote by Marcus Aurelius given to motivate us each day -- –
“In the morning
when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present:
I am getting up now to do the business of a man; Why then am I
dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the
world? Or have I been made for this, to lie in the bed clothes and keep myself warm? – But this is more pleasant.
- Dost thou exist then to take thy pleasure, and not at all for action and exertion?"

I like that, I think his point is not so much for us to find freedom, but rather to work for freedom and therein we will find happiness. The meaning in life as Christ taught it, is to give our lives away for others and there we will find ourselves. Duty to our families, love to our brothers and sisters, working for justice for all, this is where our treasure lies and this is the business of a man. Don't you think? Pleasure and happiness are by products of duty and actions for others, be it family, friends or those who are strangers.
Enough sermonizing,
Great post,
Fred

Herrad said...

Hi Joseph,
Good post, thought provoking, thanks.
Came by to say hello and wish you a good Halloween weekend.
Love,
Herrad

Bindhu Unny said...

Can't agree more with your outlook on life. :)