Happiness revisited

I know I am missing something. Like I am not happy or satisfied like when I was in my boyhood. In schooldays getting pocket money is difficult, if I get so eating chocolates, pocket ices, etc made me happier and satisfied. And in those days the weekends and holidays are the golden days. More eagerly waiting for weekends and playing cricket all the day made me wonderful.

Now I can eat anything I want. But not interested to eat snacks. Now I can buy any sports goods, but am not playing. Those days the hot summer doesn’t bothered me. Whatever it is I played and enjoyed. So whats happened? When I am growing up, I am loosing those happiest moments.

I know that I am not happy or satisfied with the current life. So I tried to explore it further. I tried to capture waht is missing and that’s why my earlier blog ‘happiness’ was. I donno whats missing. But I feel that its missing.

Couple of weeks back when myself and my friend Theiveegam were having the snack in some petti shop, I told him that in childhood if I get a Koli Kundu I will be happy like anything. Now I have Bose speakers, still not feeling that much. He also felt the same. That time I saw two boys (age will be around 12) who are working in some small shops came to the petti shop and bought the evening snacks for their owners or co-workers. That time they ate few snacks over there and packed the remaining and went out. I observed this and told to Theiveegam, that if you buy snacks for 10 bucks for the boys, they will be delighted. But you will never feel happy like them even though you get lacs of money.

I got to know what I am missing when I read the forwarded article of Suki Sivam. It filled my gap. There was a story that explained me clearly. I am not good at story telling. Hope you'll understand the story.

There was a kingdom. The king is not happier due to his enemies and kingdom problem. But he saw that one of the security people is happy and doing his job happily. So he asked that security person, how he is happy.

The security person said that he is getting enough money and he has a shelter to live, with money he can have enough food for his family. So he doesn’t have any worries.

The king called his advisor and told this to him. The advisor told to king that he is not in ‘99 gold coins’ club. So he is happy.

King asked the advisor what is ‘99 gold coins’ club. Advisor said that he will explain practically. And he put 99 gold coins in a bag and placed in front of the security person’s house. The next day the security when he is going to palace found that bag. He counted the coins. It is 99. So he thought that there is a missing coin. So he searched the surrounding places and could not find that one gold coin.

Then he had hidden that bag in his house. Now his worry is on making the 99 gold coins to 100 gold coins. So he worked hard and asked his family members also to work. Daily he was worried about the safety of the gold coins. So he was monitoring the gold coins in the night, and last sleep. Now he is not happy in his work and his life. Always he thought of making 100 gold coins. He was not happy with having 99 gold coins.

The King’s advisor told the king that now he joined the ‘99 gold coins’ club.

In our childhood we are happy with what we got. But now we are trying to make 99 gold coins to 100. So we are not happy or satisfied now. When we grow our expectations are also growing. After riding cycle, we want bike, then car and then luxurious car and then apartment etc. The list is never ending one.(Still I am thinking of buying BULLET :) ). And we are not happy with current job. Worrying on upcoming recessions, financial crisis etc. We are always worrying for that 1 gold coin. We are not happy with what we got and expecting more beyond that.

I think the point is made.