Disclaimer

There are about 22 lakhs exservicemen in the country. They are the most valuable human resources that the country can make use of. The objective of this blog is to provide a medium for exchanging views & educating the veterans of the Armed Forces by disseminating important information. This Blog has been conceived by a team comprising of Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd., Veteran BS Sohi(Both IAF), Veteran S.C. Sharma(Navy) & Veteran Malkiat Singh(Army). The postings in this Blog are only the personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the “Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association” blog team. These are expressed in good faith for the general welfare of the veterans of the Indian Armed Forces. The contents of this blog are neither for business nor for any commercial gains. Neither the “Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association” blog team nor the individual authors of any material on this blog accept responsibility for any loss or damage however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this blog. All views and opinions presented are solely those of the surfer veterans and do not necessarily represent those of “Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association” blog team. This is not an official blog site. This blog is run by a team of Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces. It is not affiliated to or officially recognized by the MOD or Air Hq., Naval Hq., Army Hq. or Govt/State.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Eight Clues to happiness-Khushwant Singh : Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Clues to happiness - Khushwant Singh

One of the most convincing pieces on happiness.

Khushwant Singh at his best.
The rationale applied to each preference is absolutely
top class.

EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS
By- KHUSHWANT SINGH

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over
what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I
drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for
the readers' appraisal.
1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy
good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however
trivial, will deduct from your happiness.
2. Second, a HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run

into crores(millions) but should be enough to provide for
creature comforts and something to spare for recreation,
like eating out, going to the pictures, traveling or going
on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money
can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is
demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.
3. Third, a HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can
never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for
keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all
the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow
and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.
4. Fourth, an UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your

spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings,
they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be
divorced than to bicker all the time.
5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better

than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned
more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.
6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you
for gup-shup(Gossip). By the time you get rid of them, you
will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.
7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you

a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing,
painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or
parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal
waste of time.
8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes

to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be
spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things
you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to
still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had
undertaken to do.
Nathaniel Cotton (1721-1788) summed up my views on

the subject in one verse:

If solid happiness we prize
Within our breast this jewel lies

And they are fools who roam
The world has nothing to bestow

From our own selves our joys must flow

And that dear hut, our home.

" What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared
to what lies within us. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson