Reader's Digest Essentials: I Happiness is like a flower

Author: Dongfang Xiao, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2010-05-01
Features: What is happiness? Happiness is the joy felt from the depths of the heart. Aristotle once said, "Happiness means self-satisfaction." Achieving happiness may seem difficult, but it is actually simple. Understanding how to cherish is the shortcut. Laughter is a form of happiness, but tears are also a form of happiness. You only truly understand sorrow to appreciate joy. Laugh heartily, cry heartily—expressing emotions freely is itself a great happiness. In reality, happiness is simple—it lies in your discovery and appreciation. If you chase fame and fortune endlessly, happiness will leave you. Only in the ordinary can you feel happiness. Happiness is all around us, visible everywhere; what matters is whether you learn to cherish it.
Below is a small story that will give you a deeper understanding of happiness:
A little lion asked his mother, "Where is happiness?"
The mother said, "Happiness is right at the end of your tail."
The little lion chased his tail all day long but couldn’t find the happiness he sought.
The mother said, "As long as you keep moving forward, happiness will always follow behind you."
Sometimes, we don’t need to deliberately search for happiness—it follows us like a tail.
A certain amount of happiness in a person’s life is predetermined. If you cherish a little, you gain a little; if you waste a little, you lose a little. From cherishing to wasting, this back-and-forth is two units of happiness. Life is like this—there is much happiness around you, but it depends on whether you can discover it and whether you can cherish it once discovered. Cherish it, and you may be happy for a lifetime; miss it, and it may vanish in an instant, perhaps never to be found again.
Perhaps you have a loved one by your side. If you hold onto them, they will be your lifelong support; if you let them go, true love may become hard to find. This back-and-forth could be the difference between heaven and earth. Yet from ancient times to the present, how many people have truly learned to discover and seize happiness?
Happiness is often just a glass of plain water.
You often hear people complain, "I am so unhappy—I’ve never known happiness." But think carefully: have these people never experienced happiness, or have they never truly savored this glass of plain water, not appreciating the happiness they already possess?
When you are in adversity, have you ever appreciated the happiness of having a healthy body? When you lack physical health, have you ever appreciated the happiness of having an optimistic and resilient mind? Even when you no longer have a healthy mind, have you ever appreciated the happiness of having once lived in the world and left beautiful memories for others?
If you have, then you are happy—you understand the value of appreciation.
A person who can shout to the world, "I am happy," is surely one who understands appreciation. They cherish their sound body, their healthy mind, and the legacy they leave in the world.
Someone who can smile and say, "I live in happiness," even when others speak of their misfortunes, is also one who understands appreciation.
All of this is happiness; all of this has melted into that ordinary glass of plain water.
Have you ever appreciated happiness? Have you ever appreciated the glass of plain water before you?
Happiness is truly just a glass of plain water. We must learn to cherish this glass of water, for once it evaporates without notice, it will never return.
Cherish happiness, cherish every little moment in life.
Understand how to cherish, and you will be the happiest person in the world.
When you encounter someone complaining about their misfortunes, smile and tell them, "You are indeed unfortunate, but your misfortune lies in not understanding how to cherish. Cherish happiness, and you will realize how truly happy you are."
Cherish—happiness!