Honorable President, my dear teachers, guests and students Assalam-o-Alaikum. Everyone in this world craves for a happy life. Happiness is just a state of mind. It is very difficult to define happiness. Sometimes happiness is related to material glory and splendor. Sometimes it is associated with the health of a man while to others it lies in a sort of contentment with whatever one possesses.
People crave for happiness. Happiness to them is just a good and comfortable dream. The manner of living has various gradations and standards. Everyone, thus, has his own concept of happiness. But one thing is very clear that every man is dissatisfied with his present lot and condition. One always wants more and more. A squatter lying on the roadside may be aspiring for a hut; a hut dweller may be aspiring for a house; a house owner may be aspiring for a beautiful bungalow while a bungalow owner may be aspiring for a posh residence and so on and so forth.
Take the life of a poor man. It is an admitted fact that poverty and happiness are diametrically opposed to each other. But there have been some instances when we find poor people quite happy and gay. Their minds are not corrupted by the sweeping changes of the times. Their life is balanced and happy. They feel contented with their meager resources and thus believe in the following lines of Wordsworth:
Be content with what you have
Little be it or much…….
Such people are really happy. Their mental state is always within the limit. Otherwise, there is no end to the desires of human beings. Human desires are infinite. They multiply with the fortune. A millionaire desires to become a multi-millionaire and his vicious circle does not end anywhere.[the_ad id=”17141″]
Moreover, humanity is a strange lot. People always want what is not in their possession. Thus, their desire to acquire and possess but their failure to achieve those things brings frustration. The craze for more things and its fulfillment leads to unhappiness and sadness. This world is really such a strange affair as has been aptly described by Shelley in the following words:
“We took before and after
And pine for what is not”
A happy life results from a state of mind. Health is also one of the most important factors which promote happiness. A healthy man can take strolls in the morning and can enjoy the fresh air of the fields and fragrance of the flowers by visiting a garden. A poor but healthy man can spend his time in sports and games and can resort to other entertainments and recreations which are cheap and easily accessible.
In the end, let it be said that the very secret of happiness lies somewhere else than in the mere possession of huge wealth. A wealthy man always remains in a state of tension because he thinks that a thief or a dacoit may not rob him. But the ideal happiness lies in one who always does a right thing, never injures the hearts and minds of others and is a God-fearing fellow. One’s actions must be good. Good actions also lead to happiness. Contentment with the prevailing circumstances is another factor promoting happiness. Thus, Shakespeare was true when he wrote:
“Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so.”
Everything looks happy to happy mind and weary to a diseased mind.