have you ever had the experience of getting into your car in the driver's
seat turning on the ignition switch and pressing the accelerator only to
discover that the car is not moving ahead as expected and then you realize
that the handbrake has not been disengaged
now with the handbrake engaged if you had continued to press the accelerator
it would have resulted in one of two consequences either the brakes would
overheat and have a meltdown or the engine would overload and have a
breakdown we need to check whether in life are emotional brakes are disengaged
or not today on the first day of this happiness challenge I am going to
discuss with you the first tool to manage our mind and thereby become a
happier person and what is that to disengage our emotions from the external
situation very often the circumstances are not under our control
I'm reminded of a geologist who went to survey the holy Ganga along with a map
in his hand as he walked along in one place the map
said the Ganga should we're to the right but the Ganga was turning left would
this man became frustrated he threw the map and went from there saying if the
Ganga is not going to follow my map then it is useless now is that a proper
expectation should the Ganga follow his map or should his map follow the Ganga
in the same way the world is as it is can we not just shift our attitude a bit
to make it happier two friends having been in an accident together were
admitted to the same ward of a hospital both were bedridden but the first friend
would be made to sick up for one hour every day to drain out the fluid from
his lungs during that time he would get to see outside the only window of that
warrant he would describe the wonderful garden outside with the migratory birds
bathing in the fountain that was at the center and the flowers blossoming on all
sides and wonderful old ladies basking in the Sun hearing it all the second
friend's world would come alive what a stark contrast to the dreary hospital
environment but then he began resenting why does this guy get to have all the
fun why is God so unfair upon me one night
the first friend began coughing it was a different kind of cough as if he was
choking the appropriate thing would have been to press the emergency Bell but he
could not think of it the second best thing would have been for his friend to
press his emergency Bell and call the staff but he was so full of hatred he
thought he is suffering good he deserves it the first friend continued to cough
for a little while and then all was quiet in the morning the nurses
discovered the dead body and removed it without much ado the second person
allowed a few days to go by to avoid any suspicion then he made a request can my
bed be moved close to the window the nurses said that's fair enough he was
moved to the other side he then requested I am now reasonably well can I
be made to sit for a little while they hoisted him up and he looked out of the
window and saw the stark wall of the nearby warehouse
he asked the hospital staff what is this they said this is the warehouse next to
our hospital but he asked what was it that my friend was seeing they responded
that was the beauty of his own mind the moral here is that no circumstance can
force us to be unhappy if we are gloomy it is always a choice that we make and
we can do to think differently let us exercise the
stool to make ourselves happier when circumstances make us unhappy let us
remember that it is not the only option we have we can as well choose to be
joyous in other words nothing forces us to be miserable it is only a choice that
we make as the saying goes in English two men looked out from the prison bars
one saw the mud and the other saw the stars we will continue this happiness
challenge and I wish to provide you to equip you with similarly powerful easily
accessible internal resources without any need for external essence to enhance
your happiness and the happiness of people around you thereby making a
happier world for all of us
you