Happiness - Mahatma Gandhi

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony". Well - yes. You can't argue with that. A lot of effort has to go into achieving it though. It doesn't come naturally.

Firstly, what we think often happens quite randomly & is emotional, subjective & not necessarily based on fact. We are intuitive as well as intelligent. We are judgemental. Our thoughts run away with us. We become fixated on our version of truth. We replay conversations & possible responses in our head. We misinterpret other peoples intentions & understanding of the situation.

Then there's what we say. How often do we have the inclination or time to pause & think before we speak? Conversation usually flows quite fast. Our response is out of our mouths before we have really processed what the other person has said or meant. We are thinking more about what we want to get into the conversation than actually listening & responding appropriately.

What we do is so important. Our actions speak "louder than words" & are often in conflict with what we say.

I have met "charmers" who could say all the right things - Usually they are self seeking. I have met people who found "making conversation" quite difficult - Usually when they said something it was worth listening to. The people I have come to value are the people who think, who are genuinely empathetic & are willing to really listen & put themselves out when you need it.

As for Happiness I think that is rare & fleeting - We should value it more. It comes in different guises & for different reasons. So much of life is compromise, dutiful, mundane. Real happiness means different things to different people. I'm hard pushed to say what makes me really, deeply, happy & at peace with the world & the people I know & love - But I do know it doesn't depend on things or money. It's about more than mere enjoyment. Maybe it's to do with contentment. I don't know.