Happiness-odyssey of life!

Have you ever imagined why most of the successful persons are
complaining that they are unable to enjoy their life? Why they are
unable to maintain the tranquility in their mind, in spite of having all the
luxuries? Why affluent are able to create huge bank account and not a
huge life? The answer to all these questions lays a misconception that
happiness or lack of it is achieving those goals and objectives set by us
or our ancestors. If we are able to widen our vision, to take a look from a
certain distant planet, we will discover that entire Lilliputian creatures
on earth are doing nothing but running as fast they can in a marathon
called life without enjoying the precious moments thrown in our way by
life. This now brings me to my point that “happiness is a journey, not a
destination”.
The easiest way to describe and explain this ideology will be by
narrating a short story. Each and everyone will be able to relate to this
fable. This fable is not about a any guy, it will simply put the way we
humans perceive our life, happiness, and our false belief that destination
will provide happiness.
Peter & his magic thread -Peter was a very lively little boy. Everyone
loved him: his family, his teachers and his friends. But he did have one
weakness. Peter could never live in the moment He had not learned to
enjoy the process of life. When he was in school, he dreamed of being
outside playing. When he was outside playing he dreamed of his
summer vacation. Isn’t it the same with every child?
One afternoon he was taking a nap, suddenly a voice from heaven
ranged in his mind and his nap was disturbed. He found a golden thread
in his hand and while he was trying to figure it out what it was, that
same voice explained the golden thread. “This is the thread of your life.
If you pull the thread just a bit, an hour will pass in seconds. If you pull
a little harder, whole days will pass in minutes. And if you pull with all
your might, months — even years — will pass by in day.”
Next day, he was felling restless in the classroom. Suddenly, he
remembered his new toy. He pulled the thread a bit and found himself in
garden playing cricket. Amazed by thing he decided to become a
teenager. This time he pulled it little longer and within a blink of eye he
was a teenager, sitting in coffee shop with a beautiful girl, his girl friend.
He felt extremely happy as one of his dream come true. But still not
satisfied, he pulled the thread and found himself surrounding by his
children and wife in his villa. What else average men dream of? He had
everything and yet was not contended. This time he pulled thread a little
longer and found himself on the verge of his death in hospital. Well this
is the end of peter and magic thread. This is not one of those stories
where happy ending is round the corner. This is life!

The nectar of the story is enjoy the present. Each and every time peter
pulled thread he was setting a new goal for his life, which we all do. As
soon as he achieved it he didn’t stopped to savor those moments, instead
set himself on new journey towards new goal. That is where the problem
lies. Most of us consider happiness as a mammoth treasure waiting for
us at the end of road. Happiness is all about collecting those beautiful
flowers in the journey. It isn’t the degree or A++ mark sheet that brings
the eternal peace to us when we look back; its little moment spend with
friends, teachers, that is cherished all throughout the life. No wonder
when asked from an office guy which period he wants to live again he
chooses college life.