Happiness: An Old Story
My dear friends, happiness is an old story. Indeed many people have sought it in the wrong places: material things and found it not. But this story sent to me reveals that happiness is not a function of physical possession.
As for me, I find happiness daily – in the rain, in the sun, in singing birds, in delicious fruits and in watching the sunset. I find it in anything: in crisis or victory!
The Unhappy Old Man
An old man lived in a village. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, constantly complained and was always in a bad mood. The longer he lived, the viler he became and more poisonous were his words. People did their best to avoid him because his misfortune was contagious. He created the feeling of unhappiness in others. But one day, when he turned eighty, an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour: ‘The old man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.’
The whole village gathered around the man and asked him, “What happened to you?” The old man replied, ‘Nothing special. For eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.’
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