Thursday, May 04, 2006

For the time being...

READ THIS FIRST:

Azahar Machwe said...
Often taking the right step or making the correct decision involves sacrificing something... and at a personal level happiness is the thing easiest to sacrifice for things like stability and long term security.

11:34 PM


kalpalata said...
azahar machwe, you confuse me. How can that which is achieved at the cost of happiness be 'correct decision' or 'right step'?

I think it is more 'pragmatism' that makes us sacrifice happiness for the time being.


NOW READ THIS:

kalpalata its pretty simple.. There are many situations in life where our happiness lies in the way of making the correct decision.

Just a small example from my life: Say you get a good opportunity to work/study abroad which will improve your career prospects. This in turn will allow you to give your parents and future family an added level of comfort.
But you are unhappy about leaving home. Your happiness lies with staying at home with your family and friends.
Yet the right decision is to go out since that will make you a tougher individual and will be good for your overall growth.
Thus you sacrifice your happiness for what is right. And in the end by sacrificing your happiness for 4-5 years you not only become a new person but you also gain strength of mind and heart.

Reading the second line of your comment is bit confusing.. how do you define 'for the time being'?
is it 1 yr? 2 yrs? 5 yrs?

Because remember often great things are done not by just giving up things which make us happy 'for the time being' but by giving them up for a considerable amount of time.

And finally we don't know how much time god has given us with our loved ones... and how much time THEY have with us.
So some times 'for the time being' can mean forever.

1 comment:

KD said...

I dont think we are saying contradictory things.

From the example you give - leaving home for a better future and swallowing the pain of leaving home - I dont call it 'sacrificing', happines, but rather being pragmatic - I have to leave home because thats how I can be happy afterwards...

I guess - I dont call leaving home as sacrificing 'happiness', because as you said - you might have to be away for - one yr, maybe 2?, 3? 5?...and sacrificing happiness - means that one is unhappy for all these years.

I am uncomfortable with this because if you have a feeling of 'unhappiness' all the time inside you, its very difficult to do great things, one does not settle down to what life has to offer in a new place - and is always craving for what one left behind home.

No - I would say, accept the fact that you have to leave home (pragmatism), and do the best to achieve what you want and believe in your karma...that how much effort you put you will reap all of it...

I guess for me - 'happiness' is not material good - but to be at 'peace with myself and my surroundings', to love what is there already and to be positive...

And that is why I said that 'a right decision' cannot be linked with unhappiness...it will go hand in hand with positive energy of happiness.