Don’t Worry; Be Happy

Dr. Rajesh Bhola
India
Jun 08, 2012

So much of our life is subjected to fulfilling our basic desires, and maintaining our ego. We are forever seeking an impossible immunity to the ups and downs of life, but have found that the boat of our life has repeatedly capsized.  If we have something more important to base ourselves upon, then these onslaughts of circumstance cannot have much effect. Basically, our efforts have been misdirected. There is another better way – that does work.

We can be free and happy if we remember that there is a higher, nobler life available.

On Saturday I walked over to meet my friend. There was no hurry. It was a weekend. I walked quite slowly. I had enough time to fully experience the walking. The day temperature had touched its peak of 45 degree Celsius. It was getting dark now, and the evening air was cooler. It was very pleasant to notice the people crowding at the local sector market. Senior citizens assembled as usual in the Old Age Home, for their evening chat, followed by Kirtan. The sky overhead turned deep yellow, due to the sultry weather. My footfall on the road was gentle. I enjoyed my walk. 

The point is not just to get somewhere.We should enjoy the simple things that we do. So take a walk. Look at the flowers. Smile with cheer at the passers-by. Take the children for an evening drive. Share moments with your spouse. Our walking and sharing moments with family are like a beautiful song. It is a melody that flows on timelessly. Enhanced awareness of the immediate natural environment is a very powerful healing influence for the psyche. To gaze at the setting sun, to touch a flower, to hear a bird sing, to observe the falling of raindrops, to notice the melting of ice, to watch the swirling waters, or to feel the touch of somebody whom you love – is to come in contact with reality in a way that little else can match. The point is again not to get somewhere. The point is to enjoy the moment. My mother always asked us to bring to mind what is good, lovely and satisfying. If we are doing so, we are fulfilling a higher purpose. We always have the option to be happy, if we choose, even in the most challenging times. Feel confident that you can reach that state of mind where you will remain blessed with happiness. It is attainable. 

While some people are out of touch with, or busy suppressing, their feelings, others are overwhelmed by them. Sometimes this is because the troubles that the people have experienced are so terrible, that whenever the memory is triggered they become extremely disoriented. Sometimes it is not so much that the troubles are terrible, as that the persons have placed themselves in­–or fallen victim to–a life situation in which the pain is constantly relived.  Let us seek to harness our deepest passions in the service of all that is good and worthwhile, and thereby make our short stay upon this earth meaningful and of consequence. To achieve this we need to cultivate our passion, and learn to live happily. 

 So, put a smile on your face, forget all the worries, and sing and dance to the tune of the immortal song ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ – which brought the legendary Bob McFerrin the best song of the year Grammy Award in 1988. υ

Dr. Rajesh Bhola is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause of children with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities for more than 20 years.