Friends, we all want to be happy – it is a fact. All actions performed by any living being, be it a human being or an ant, carry a single motive – the desire for happiness.

There is an opinion that everyone has his own happiness and its nature is subjective. But can something that is subjective, and therefore relative, be truly real, that is, something that does not change over time? My answer is no. What is truly real is timeless.

REAL = PERMANENT
ILLUSORY = TEMPORARY

I believe in the Bhagavad-gita (Chapter 5, verses 21-23) there is a description of a happy person:

“The man who has realized God is no longer attached to the sensations of the external world. He has found in himself the source of lasting happiness. The pleasures derived from contact with the external world are the source of suffering. Once begun, they are bound to end, so the wise seek happiness not in them. He who can restrain the urges arising from desire and anger while still in this body is truly happy.”

I am convinced: permanent happiness cannot be found in anything external, in temporary things. External objects may give you joy, but sooner or later, under the influence of time, they will either change or disappear from your life. Perhaps you will also change, changing your attitude to them. In any case, disappointment will come. After all, any material happiness now is a seed of future unhappiness.

Wise people seek happiness in themselves, try to control their senses, which crave pleasure and push us to impulsive actions. A truly happy person does not depend on the weather as a condition for a good mood – he carries his own weather inside.

It’s a skill. And like any skill or habit, it can be developed through practice. For example, you can learn how to do it from Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.