I am driving to office. I am a careful driver. May be I have imbibed many of the happiness lessons some of which help me in not getting unnecessarily agitated. I am subconsciously thinking to Be Happy!

I am very observant of the traffic around me. I am paying attention to the traffic going in the direction I am going and coming from the opposite direction. On cross roads I am especially careful of the traffic moving in all the directions. But what happens when I pass the cross road?

I nearly completely forget the traffic which I had just passed and had paid so much of my undivided attention! It has become of no concern to me! But moments before it was of vital importance to me. My life depended on it. I am not worrying where all those cars and drivers have gone. Whether they were red or blue or green cars, whether the drivers were good or bad. All this does not affect me now at all.

Similarly, I am not concerned what is happening far away and out of my field of vision. What cars will be crossing me at the next cross road is not my concern at present. What is happening far away is not my worry now. If I worry about it just now, I may cause an accident.

What I am completely and totally concerned about is the car in front of me; the car coming from opposite direction; the car coming from my left and right. Then I am concerned about the immediate traffic around me. I occasionally glance at the rear view mirror; see the side mirrors and glance behind while changing lanes or taking a turn.

Dwelling upon past is futile. Howsoever you worry about past it is not going to change. Whatever has happened has happened. If I drive past something, it is past. Of little concern to me. Nature heals old wounds. It is only we who sometimes open them. Past is like a useless file deleted from the hard drive. It is foolish to search and restore it from the recycle bin. Similarly, worrying about future is useless. What you dread may never happen. Do your best and hope for the best. Live in the present, because:

“Life is now in session. Are you present?”—B. Copeland

Imagine a drive to a beautiful place. Our destination is a dream-like place. Beautiful brooks, rivers, forests, country side, hills, cities, morn, day, night, sun, rain, snow, pass by. We remain oblivious of them. We are going to enjoy them when we reach our destination! It is only the one who enjoys the journey who really travels.

Similarly, we go through life planning to be happy on some future day! I will be happy after I finish my education, after I get a job, after I get married, after I buy a computer, a car, a house, after my children have finished their education, after they have got married. I will be happy after I retire. That day will come and go but I will never be happy. If I cannot be happy now, how can I be so on some future day! Happiness does not come automatically after some day; it does not depend on worldly possessions. If you cannot be happy in the process of achieving some goal you cannot be happy after obtaining that goal. If you cannot enjoy the journey you cannot enjoy the destination. To be happy you must live in the present.

“Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.”—Old Eskimo saying
 

BE HAPPY!