How does one find Happiness and Success in Life?

Many books and academic research have been written on this subject, but the most comprehensive answer is in our scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita.?

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna collapses on the battlefield, unable to think clearly, his mind clouded with emotions, and his intellect stopping to function. Lord Krishna offers Arjuna the wisdom that clears all his doubts and helps him regain his composure and fight for victory. With the new-found wisdom, Arjuna is able to think clearly and act perfectly, and success becomes a forgone conclusion.?

Being peaceful is our natural state, but we are caught in turmoil given the multitude of distractions we face. To look at it objectively, the only thing in our control is our responses to?situations that arise every day. If we focus on this with all our energy, concentration, consistency and cooperative effort from others, we should be on a path to success. But we pay too much attention to the external world and let the environment affect our well-being and happiness. Our success is not determined by the perception of others but is defined by our ability to create a series of perfect actions day after day. As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison is believed to have replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps!".?

We perceive the world around us through our senses, and our rational brain, the Neocortex, acts on these external stimuli to create appropriate responses. But it must be noted that before the external stimuli reach our rational self, they have to pass through the primitive brain - The amygdala and hippocampus. Now,?our primitive brain can short-circuit our rational responses?based on past memories and emotions associated with them. This was particularly useful in induced fight or flight responses during the prehistoric period as human beings faced constant threats from predators, and there was no time to think and rationalise. But in a knowledge society, we cannot let our minds be constantly agitated and let our primitive brains take over and drive our actions. So, how does a person go about attaining this tranquillity and control over the mind?

Martin Seligman, the famed American psychologist, talks about the five key principles to lead a happy life, represented by the acronym ‘PERMA’ - Positive mental attitude, Engagement or Flow, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishments. However, one cannot attain any of the above without first controlling the mind and keeping it free of negative emotions. It is like trying to see one's reflection on the surface of turbulent water or flowing like a river. Stress is but a socially acceptable form of mental illness! Constant stress and anxiety will prevent us from attaining the state of ‘Flow’ or Engagement that would ultimately lead to success and happiness.??

Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita recommends the Yoga of Action or Karma to attain this state of ‘Flow’. Actions that are performed with total love and dedication and without expectation of positive or negative results. The secret of happiness boils down to a single word - ‘Choice’. Happiness is a choice that every human being can make despite their circumstances. However, in order to make this choice every time, in every situation, and in a consistent manner, it will require practice and training of the human intellect. Just as we go to the Gym to stay physically fit, we must train our own minds not to get attached to the results but to focus on our mission and purpose in life.?

One must realise that it is not just the end result that matters but the path we follow to get there. It is this knowledge that can help us to focus and be fully absorbed in what we do. It is by performing these perfect actions, however simple it might be, that we shall find true joy and happiness. Statistically speaking, if we improve ourselves by 1% every day, we will be 37 times better in 1 year [1*(1+1%)^365=37.78!] in our chosen field of focus. The best way to derail our happiness and chance of impacting the world is not to focus on the present moment but to be agitated about the past and the future.

To summarise, happiness is not a destination that we must strive to reach but a choice that we can make every day to not let external factors disturb our peace and tranquillity. Every moment is a gift given to all of us to make this choice, to be focused on the present moment (Karma Yoga), discover happiness, and achieve success.

Reference:

1. Bhagavad Gita