Introduction
Every man likes to be happy, but few men are really happy. Happiness lies in contentment. Few people were contented with their lot.
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Wealth and happiness
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Many people think that wealthy men are happy. They have no material wants. They live in luxury and enjoyment. But are they really happy ? I think they are not. Wealth may help them to lead a luxurious life. But that alone does not make for a happy life. Wealthy people may suffer from 111 health. An unhealthy man is never happy in spite of his wealth. Wealthy men may not enjoy peace of mind for various reasons. They always hanker after more wealth. They have worries of mind. Wealth cannot remove them. There may be troubles in the family. There may be worries and anxieties as regards the protection of their wealth. This wealth may lead them to the path of vice. All these rob them of their mental peace. Thus wealth does not always lead to happiness. However most people think that money is necessary to lead a happy life.
Poverty and happiness
Some people say that poor men are happy because they have not the worries and anxieties of rich men. But this is not always true. Poor men have wants. They cannot live in comfort. They have always to think how they will maintain their family properly. This robs them of their peace of mind and they cannot be happy.
Source of happiness
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Thus we see that neither wealth nor poverty can give us real happiness. It is contentment that gives us true happiness. A contented man is satisfied with what he has. He is not worried even if he is poor. He may have wants of many kinds but that does not deprive him of his peace of mind. But such contented men are very rare.
My idea
Though contentment is the source of happiness, it does not mean that we should live an idle life of inactivity because we are contented with what we have. We are not saints and yogis. We have necessities of life. We should try to attain a fair standard of life. We must strive hard to live a better life with a spirit of contentment. If we are not active, we shall be lazy and worthless. Such a life is not desirable. We should strive for a better life, but if we fail this should not make us unhappy. We must Have contentment and at the same time a spirit of activity to improve our worldly circumstances. We require money, but earning money should not be the end of our life. This will rouse in us a hankering after more money and there will be worries. This will make us unhappy.
So my conclusion is that a happy man should possess sound health, peace of mind, and a spirit of contentment, and at the same time he should strive for a better life. He will face sorrows and suffering with firm determination to overcome them. These must not daunt his spirit. He will do his duties properly to all. He will have faith in God and God will give him strength of mind to lead a contented life under all circumstances. Thus he will have the satisfaction of leading a happy life with the blessings of God upon him.