The Happiness Potion!

An article, read recently, states that the second largest business in the world is selling happiness. One might even wonder if happiness could be sold and bought! Yuval Noah Harari, in his essay “Chemical Happiness and the Meaning of Life”, argues on the modes and means with which one could maintain a state of happiness. He says how happiness is subjective and that external means like wealth, position and material accomplishments do not pave way to happiness. Giving meaning to life is the remedy to retain happiness in life according to Harari.

There are chemicals/hormones inside the body that triggers happiness. One such chemical is oxytocin. Once the brain conceives the instance of happiness, an electric signal is transmitted across the neurons that results in the production of oxytocin, says science. Since not all life situations create happiness, creating happy occasions is one of the ways to stimulate the sense. While, being with friends buys happiness to some, family time fetches happiness for the other few. Leading a social life sometimes adds to the feel and sometimes sitting alone brings bliss. 

While thinking of happy people, a few faces would have glimmered in your mind. Have you ever felt that their lives are complete and stain-free from gloom? No. But they are the people who feed their minds with happy moments they create and hand-pick the sweet grapes out of the bunch. Once, a habit of finding good amidst bad is practiced, positive among negatives are sorted, moments of charm amidst sorrow are cherished, our name too will be in the list of happy faces.

 We would have interacted with people down with Covid but up with positive vibes. Staying positive being Covid Positive! They sprinkle the tinge of peace on whoever come along their way. Ernest Hemmingway won Noble prize because he pen-pictured how Santiago, despite his old age, succeeded in rowing against the hungry tides and caught the Marlin, at a time when the whole world was grief stricken by the two world wars. It’s the meaning we give to life that is the potion to happiness. Once we decide on the purpose of life, happiness brews. It spills out the brim and make people devour and spill further for many to cherish. To be thus, let’s stop worrying on what we are deprived of and start counting the blessings. First feel happy that you are alive, you are tech savvy and have access to this blog, you have a friend to share this with you, you can read and understand these lines because you are literate, you can see or hear or touch and feel this write up. See, how gifted you are. They say, yesterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, hence it’s called the present! Stop worrying about what is past and what is yet to come. Give your best to this moment to remain happy!!!

Saritha. K

Head of English
Al Shifa College of Arts and Science.