The world is full of stories about successful people. The books promising success sell fast in the book store racks. There are unending talks about victories, so many quotes about winning… Does it then imply that life is a perennial battle and the purpose of our being born is to strive forever. If this be the case then the vital question is what is to be conquered. This question needs to be solved so that the much coveted success after which we are trained to run after right from the childhood does not become pyrrhic in the end.

Though the resources for luxury as well as the sources of income are increasing by the minute, so is the growing discontent. The many cases of homicide and genocide are proof enough to implicate this. In order to find the solution to these impending questions it is perhaps time to do some serious rethinking over the yardstick of success and norms of victory and winning.

What is the real motive of human existence ?Was such a complex being consisting of so many nerves and tendons and such a complex morphology created by God for nothing? In order to understand the modus operandi of human creation let us seek the help of mythology because where logic fails theology steps in to clear the chaos. Irrespective of the religion the aim why mankind was created was to spread happiness. With bird’s eye let us take Christianity as an example. God created Adam and Eve and the ideal abode Paradise for them. The sole task for them,till Satan lured them into the honey trap of sweet talks, was to stay happy. So does it then implicate that the success of human existence is validated as long as we are able to be happy. However though all happy people are successful not all successful people are happy. Though importance of a comfortable life for a happy state of existence can not be undermined yet material comfort alone is not the guarantee for happiness. So then what is the perfect recipe for success leading to happiness.

The key to happiness lies in spending the precious life energy Into constructive action. It is utilising your capabilities to the best of your potential.You ran hard in a race but did not win. You tried your best but did not get the desired outcome. So are You a looser. Is it being NOT SUCCESSFUL. The real defeat would have been to not try…if You’d not given your best….Rejoice in the fact that the winner had a chance to win because numerous others participated. Be happy that you tried because tomorrow you won’t even be in the situation to give it another try.

Rather than focusing on such competitive terms as winners and failures the sole aim of one’s life should be to excel. Excelling does not mean waiting for grand opportunities to prove your worth. Satisfaction derived out of the mundane tasks performed diligently leads to a sense of well-being leading straight to happiness. You baked a cake it turned out perfect and You excel. Someone is mean to you. You bear with it you excel. People may mock at you yet you don’t loose focus you excel. The sole attempt to outdo what we did yesterday is to be an excelsior…Not everybody will be lucky enough to participate in a grand historical event. But we can contribute our small share to making the world a happy place by doing whatever comes our way with utmost honesty, dedication and perseverance thus canonising the ordinary to the extraordinary.

When you set your competition against yourself you are no longer in competition with anyone else. And as you master the skill of ameliorating your existence the negative forces of the outside world stop affecting. It does not matter who is above or below you because you are no longer a part of that rat race. You become your own light. In order to seek that inner light which will brighten up the senses it is extremely important to cultivate that one hobby that would serve as your touch stone for all the failings and frustration throughout a tedious day. Equally important is to overcome the urge to talk about our miseries. Talking about the bad experience does not change anything but only leads to otiosity. It is also showing ingratitude to God when he has blessed us with all that we did not even ask for. To be born as a human tops the list of all the blessings. When thankfulness becomes a habit we realise how much there is in life to celebrate. When positive approach to life becomes your vision happiness exudes, radiating not only your whole being but also all those who come in contact with you.

Contributed by: Dr. Sofia Nalwaya