Bliss

At this age, I tire of temporary things. I’ve searched for happiness in all the wrong places- investing my time in dead-end relationships and pursuing one endeavor after another. I thought it was time I look for real answers.

So I sat down and tabulated (you heard me right) all the times that I’ve been really, truly been happy. And like a good statistician, I made an analysis and found the three most common elements of the times my heart almost burst from sheer bliss: family, friends, and accomplishments. The three cornerstones of my life, four, if you include the One Great Love, but I was not lucky in that department yet.

The are so many things that are not within our control, and life manages to throw us a lot of curve balls. However, with the right attitude and outlook in life, a person can manage to survive all the tests and trials of life, and if possible, get everything he had ever wanted in life.

To put it in simple terms, I made a list of reminders to myself on the best ways to live life:

1. Work hard. Everything worth having requires effort, so they say.

2. Don’t get too cocky. Eating humble pie allows one to learn from other people. After all, no man, no matter how smart, is infallible- people around us can actually teach us a thing or two.

3. Be generous. Each time I do a kind deed without asking for anything in return, it feels really good. But it does come back- in the form of blessings.

4. Maintain good relationships with people around you. It would be doubly stressful for you if are always at war with those around you. Having friends help, especially when you need moral support in dire times.

5. Live life the way you want it. Fulfill your Personal Legend (as Paolo Coelho would put it). Enjoy life at no one’s expense. Achieve your dreams without stepping on other people.

Finally, seek guidance from God- praying daily helps calm you down and gives you a fresh perspective on things. It’s never too late to start one’s resolutions.