16th March 2024
Happiness is a feeling that is hard to quantify. After all, what makes one person happy can differ from the next. Plus, what makes us happy at one point in time can change as we evolve, making it hard to quantify.
There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a sandal vendor.
On sunny days, she worried about the older daughter saying: “Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?”
These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry.
When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter, saying: “Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a sandal vendor. You cannot sell sandals on a rainy day.”
So, the old lady lived in sorrow every day. Whether it was sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters.
One day, she met a monk. He was curious as to why she was always crying so she explained the problem to him.
The monk smiled kindly and said, “Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more.”
The lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do.
The master replied, “It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to sell her sandals. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper.”
The wise Monk summed up his story saying: “We cannot pick the weather but we can adjust our feelings. Half full or half empty, you cannot change the situation but you can adjust how you feel.”
This weekend, adjust your feelings, choose happiness & stay blessed forever.
