Don't Worry, Be Happy - An Excerpt

                                         

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
PRIYA RAMESH SWAMINATHAN 

(Image courtesy: Woman's Era - October, 2021)   

An excerpt from my article titled ‘Don’t worry, be happy’ published in Woman’s Era -

October, 2021 

Don’t Worry, Be Happy
The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
By Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

     Be moderate in your way of life.  Don’t have any vices, like smoking, drinking, consuming drugs or gambling.  Over-indulgence in anything is bad for one’s health. Addiction will only add to your woes!

     Materialism governs society today.  Be satisfied with your belongings.  Don’t attach much importance to wealth, fame or fortune.  Or even to your fate!  What has to be will be!

     Rich people spend fortunes to guard their amassed wealth and spend sleepless nights. They take sleeping pills each night to get undisturbed sleep. Whereas the man on the footpath sleeps peacefully and deeply, for nobody can rob him if he doesn’t own anything!       

     Vibha loved consulting astrologers who predicted her future after charging hefty fees.  When their predictions failed, she would berate them and consult new ones!  She didn’t have the wisdom to pursue her goals herself and work towards achieving them.  So-called God-men and self-proclaimed astrologers and palmists took her for a ride. 

     When things don’t go your way, don’t worry about why they are not going your way, but purposefully make things go your way.

     Keep your great expectations in check and enjoy the smaller things of life.  It’s these which make our life worth living. Helping others and offering solace to others will go a long way in improving your mind-set.

     People who are ‘worried to death’ by misgivings and thoughts of illness and death, don’t realize that such worrying only brings them closer to death.  They must make their lives worth living, and do such deeds that will make them immortal.

     All said and done, there are the chronic worriers who can’t help worrying incessantly about trivial things or about things which might never come to pass!

     If you are one of them, try auto-suggestion, when all other methods to stop worrying fail.  Say to yourself, “Nothing bothers me.  I have no doubts, no worries.  I’m happy and contented.”

     Lessen your anxiety by thinking about the worst thing that could happen to you and also visualize measures to tackle that imaginary event or situation once it actually occurs or befalls you.  Thus you must always be prepared for the worst, but keep hoping for the best. 

     Just think along the lines penned by the insightful poet, P.B. Shelley - “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”

The copyright of this article belongs to Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Do purchase a copy of this issue and peruse the entire article. Looking forward eagerly to your feedback! Thanks in anticipation. Priya