I came to know that one of my close friend who is in severe depression and is very dispassionate about her life which made me to think very deeply and inspire me to write something about Happiness and its formulas. Universal truth says that each and every creature on this earth (and may be on Mars too!) strives for happiness! Either they accumulate wealth and properties like Alexander the Great (Sikandar) or renounce the worldly pleasure of palace and propensities like Gautama Buddha or Mahaveer Swami! Whatever we do, it’s purely for the happiness. But what is happiness? Is it some destination or a process? Is it something to accumulate or renounce? How does it generate? It is so strange to think that we are so much unaware for the thing for which our whole life is spent for!

I need not to say that, me too in the search of this has tried many experiments. Read lot of books, listen lot of audio, Ted talks and podcasts and various types of Meditations too. And I would like to share that I am able to find some quick formulas which are sure shot and helpful. I had experiment them on me, and at least they are helpful to me and one can surely try to get good results. One more interesting thing is — they are not expensive and very easy! Now you must be very excited to know the same! Let me share with you without wasting any time.

1. Be Yourself :

Many times we tend to define the happiness with approval from others for our own selves. We feel happy if someone approve us or our ideas and get upset by rejections. But do we really need any approval from others to accept our own self? I don’t mean that we should not care for others and avoid their feelings. In fact, we should play our role in best possible manner. We must give our 100% to any relation. But be strong enough to live on your own conditions. Be loving enough to accept them with their opinions about you. Others will only love you or accept you as you are if you have loved or accepted yourself wholeheartedly. Somehow I feel that finding approval from others for your own self is sheer violence to your own! Isn’t it?

I am sharing this wisdom from my own experience. Since childhood I was bold and used to live my life on my own conditions. I had never tried to find my happiness in others’ approval for myself. But after marriage, I started this mistake and expected from my husband. I used to wait for his appreciation whenever I wear a new dress or get a new haircut. I used to wait for his praises when I cook for him or help him in office. But frankly speaking, I never tried to understand his work tensions and hectic schedules. This made a huge gap between us. I was fortunate enough to have guidance and I realize my mistake. I started living my life on my own conditions again and this made me to love him more passionately and unconditionally. Now I do my best and enjoy. I don’t even wait for his response or appreciation. “Be yourself” is the key mantra to keep yourself happy always. If we give our best in whatever role we play, nothing will go in ruin. Be your best version and don’t bother for anything else.

2. Be Creative :

We humans are the best creation of this universe. And the beauty is we are gifted to create our own creations. We all are having one or more skills to create something. Painting, cooking, writing is some of the examples of it. And our happiness lies in using those skills. They are the source of happiness. We enjoy our creations and the process to create them. Have you ever noticed that we feel immense pleasure while we do painting or embroidery or cooking or any new creation? Anything which can make us busy in some creation of constructive things is one of the core reasons of our happiness.

My mother in law who is a doctor by profession has always some spark in her eyes whenever she talks about the new designer wears she plans for me. The enthusiasm when she speaks about the embroidery and the cuts of my outfit is awesome. She always enjoys trying new recipes after she saw on Facebook. I have seen lot of such examples who are simply enjoys their creation after their busy hectic days. I have seen that tinkling spark in my husband’s eyes when he writes poem on our birthdays after being busy with balance sheets and audits in his hectic work day. What I meant to tell you are the feeling of creating your own creation gives the sense of higher level of satisfaction. You just need to find out that one creative skill in you which gives you sense of satisfaction and you can relate yourself with that easily. Try to spare some time for it every day and I am sure it will lead you to the ultimate happiness.

3. Be Energetic :

How can a person who is not happy become energetic? And simple answer is Exercise. Spare some time for your body and do some exercise regularly. When you exercise your body releases chemicals called endorphin, serotonin, and dopamine. They are called happiness hormones. Endorphin interact with receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. It also triggers the positive feeling in the body similar to the morphine (drug). Dopamine plays a major role in the motivational component of reward. It enables us not only to see the rewards but to take the action to move towards that. In fact exercise also burns the chemical called cortisol — the hormone produced by the body under stress, fear and anxiety which ultimately damage our body organs. Are you confused to hear the names of these chemicals? Don’t worry. All this means that if you spare some time for exercise daily — you will feel more happy, motivated and healthy. Weight reduction is by product which helps you to give one more reason to be happy. (Jokes apart)

4. Be Generous :

I read many good books in my journey of search of happiness. And I came across to one wonderful message. Happiness lies in serving others, helping others. Every day should come with a thought to serve someone without reason. I am not saying that be social worker and leave your work. In fact all the successful organizations have one common reason for their success. And that is the core value of their company to provide best service, solutions, product to comfort their clients. You name Google, Facebook, Amazon or Alibaba. Their core motto is to provide best solutions & to add value in their customers’ life. Of course they done want to do social services, though the intention to add value in life of others make them successful. If you keep to serve others in every act of your life as priority, than that will give you the ultimate fulfillment as well as happiness.

Recently I had a talk with my son. He is serving his university students as teaching assistant. And I can feel the excitement in his tone. He shared his filling in just single word “fulfilling”. The sense of fulfillment gives us the power of happiness. Isn’t it?

But I would like to add one thing here. Many times people got confused in being good and looking good. They do all the good things as I mentioned above to be listed in others’ good book. This later on becomes the reason of their break down or depression. So I would say it again — Be generous enough to others as well as to your own self.

5. Be Grateful :

And this is my most favorite formula of happiness. Tried and tested. It always works. And always helps. It has created wonders in my life. Usually we humans have a common tendency to blame others or complain to others for whatever we don’t have with us. Rather than we should be thankful for the wonderful things surrounding us. Sit in a quiet place and start writing about that every day. It could be a loving spouse, wonderful children, house to live, food to eat and a lot than that. We are having so much for which others are longing for. But we just ignore that and complain for the things which we don’t have.

One day one lady was blaming God for her broken hands in church. The priest happened to hear that, and so he came to her. He asked — Did you ever thank God for the legs which are still working? Did you ever thank God for the hands which were not broken earlier? If no, then how could you blame him now? Be in the state of gratitude. We must try this formula as it will give immediate result of happiness.

Other than this — Mediation helps a lot for the eternal happiness. But one cannot express this formula in any words. They say in “Vipasana” meditation “Do and experience”, and I would also tell the same. Just do and experience the eternal bliss.

I hope this article will help you to generate lot of happiness. I would be delighted if it helps you 1% also. I would be happy to know your feedback in comment below.