Think about happiness

In June 2012, the Secretary General of the United Nations announced that March 20th of each year would be the International Day of Happiness. On January 19th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed and issued a document on organizing activities for the International Day of Happiness with the theme "Love and Share".

But what is happiness, even the United Nations has not yet given a concise, complete and correct definition, but only based on standards and criteria such as: health, spirit, education, environment, quality of management and living standards of the people.

It can be said that happiness is a human concept. When a person is homeless, a thatched roof, a peaceful shelter is happiness. That is different from the dream and criteria to say that I am happy when I have a fully equipped yacht. A manual worker's concept of happiness will only be enough food and warm clothes, then go further to be beautiful and rich... It will be very different from those who have money but still wish to have a lot of money.

When we were young, our happiness was a cup of ice cream, a piece of candy, a new shirt. When we are old, our happiness is a bowl of rice and a peaceful life every day. A good harvest with a good price is the happiness of thousands of people who work hard in the sun and rain. A place or a job is already a great happiness for those who do not have a job.

When we are apart, we wish to be close, when we are separated, we wish to reunite. What happiness, boundless happiness when after many years of war, a child returns to the arms of his beloved mother and wife. Not only when the living return, but happiness also bursts forth even when one only returns to his loved ones and homeland with a handful of ashes.

It is difficult to say everything, difficult to clearly define happiness for each wish, for each life. Happiness is all around us, very close and very real. But happiness is also shimmering like an illusion, like a magical miracle that makes us dream, makes us aspire, makes us search, makes us seek and reach.

Happiness only truly comes to us when tears burst out of joy, because it is exchanged for the bitterness we have experienced. Sweetness is the end of the range of human emotions. Therefore, happiness often does not naturally taste sweet. And, when we feel we are fulfilled with ourselves, content with life... then that is happiness.

Life is full of twists and turns, each person has a different way of thinking, each person has a different situation, so each person will choose for themselves different definitions of the word happiness! For one person, happiness is something big, grand, and magnificent, and must strive hard to achieve it. But for another person, happiness is simple, ordinary, and seems like it is not a dream.

We are still deluding ourselves, lulling ourselves with the mindset of a time when we used to comfort each other "our country is very rich, with golden forests, silver seas, and fertile land..." Therefore, if only one criterion for happiness is "quality of life", it is already far behind many countries. While we are still proud that we are the 5th happiest country. We don't know if that is official or just a rumor, but it shows that we still have the mindset of lulling each other with achievements, an old mindset.

For me, happiness is what happens in life, in daily work. Happiness or not lies in people's attitude and perspective towards life.

When I know what I need to do for myself, for my family, for society. When I know how to appreciate the past days, what I had and what I am having. When I know how to dream, to overcome sadness, to try to stay away from greed and anger, when I know what I need and strive to reach good things, for me, for everyone and when I am able to share.