Baba says, “Happiness is your birthright of Brahmin life and to be constantly happy is greatness.“

It is of happiness that it is said: There is no nourishment like happiness. Happiness is the basis for the art of living. Everyone is living their lives but to live with pleasure, to be able to enjoy life, that is only possible when there is happiness.

But often I postpone my happiness. I think that when I lose that extra weight, when I win that promotion, when I overcome that bad habit, then I will be happy. In thinking that way, I imply that happiness is a feeling I feel because of an event, or because of having attained something. But God teaches me that happiness is not a feeling that I wait to feel, it is a decision I make. I have to choose to be happy in order to be truly happy. That means that I can choose to be happy today, right this minute.

But too many of us simply endure life rather than enjoy it. I drag through life from one day to the next with barely any enthusiasm. I barely manage a smile, let alone laugh; everything is a burden. But as a child of God, the Ocean of Happiness, I should be the happiest person on earth! I’m not supposed to simply watch life pass me by, I’m supposed to be alive, engaged, looking forward to each day! I ought to be radiating happiness everywhere I go through my cheerful face and demeanor.

But when I’m not careful and living life on autopilot, then the pressures of life push me down to where I’m no longer excited about the future, I’m just too bogged down to care. If I don’t course-correct quickly, then I get more and more morose, grumpy, and bitter. I don’t just lose my happiness, but I cause others around me to lose their happiness as well. God teaches me that no matter where I am in my life, whatever the challenges I might be facing, that should have no bearing on my happiness; that, is my God given birthright, it belongs to me. “Problems will come and go, but your happiness should not go because happiness is your own personal property, whereas the problem is something external; it has come from someone else. You always keep with you things that belong to you. Things that do not belong to you will come and go. The situations belong to Maya; they are not yours. You don’t lose anything that belongs to you. So, do not lose your happiness.“, explains Baba. While I might blame people or situations for the way I feel, the truth is that no person, situation, or circumstance can take away my happiness unless I allow them to. It’s a decision, a choice I get to make every minute of every day. This is called self-sovereignty and that too, is my birthright.

Maybe I haven’t got past that sanskar yet, I can’t quite afford a home yet, maybe a close family member is ill, or a child seems to have gone off track. These are real issues that I have to deal with, but I can do it while choosing to be happy. That sounds counter-intuitive but it’s true. To live frustrated, bitter, down on myself- that takes absolutely no power, and it solves nothing. In fact, living bitter, angry and disheartened pushes the child that is off course, further away; the heaviness in the atmosphere makes the sick person feel sicker and my negative attitude ensures that I never get past that sanskar. But if I instead choose to be happy, choose to keep a positive attitude right where I am, in the midst of the circumstance, then that is true power. “To be constantly happy is greatness.“, teaches Baba. My happiness inspires and attracts others, gives them strength and courage, and causes them to want me on their team, close to them. “Become those who show others the spiritual sparkle with your sparkle of happiness.“, He teaches.

Being able to choose happiness no matter what comes from having a close, intimate relationship with God, the Supreme Powerhouse. When I make myself belong to Him as the child, that surrender takes the weight off. I still have to play my role, shoulder the responsibilities but I don’t feel the weight anymore. I experience the Father as my Protector and Benefactor; I experience Him being in-charge and taking responsibility. But I have to take the first step – I have to become the child first, then He becomes responsible.

A child is always cheerful and full of enthusiasm. A child might cry one minute because of something that happened but five minutes later, they’ve forgotten about it and are playing again. There isn’t a child that any of us knows of that holds a grudge, is bitter or resentful. They don’t worry about what will happen, or if they will make it or not. Children are just happy, enjoy the simple things of life, they forgive quickly and treat each day as a prize, a gift they’ve been given. They can be that way because they have implicit faith in their parents, they know deeply in their bones that they are taken care of, that their parents are responsible. If I too can live my life with a childlike faith in God, then that will automatically bring a lightness, a positive attitude and enable me to live life with a smile on my face. To be a child is therefore to be the master of all of the Father’s treasures. Like a child, let me treat each day as a gift from God, as a new beginning. I will never get this day back. If I make the mistake of living it by simply reacting to circumstances, then I have wasted it. Some of us have wasted years reliving disappointments, dwelling on what hasn’t worked out or upset over what someone did to us. Yes, those events did hurt but it’s up to me to choose whether I want them to continue to hurt me or if I’d rather keep my happiness instead.

Sometimes, I live from Friday to Friday. I’m happy when it’s the weekend and dread Mondays. Some of us get happy when there is a big celebration but once that’s over, I’m back to feeling down again. Why not be determined to be happy every day. Most days are going to be routine. If I’m going to only enjoy the big days, then I will live most of my life sad. Whether I’m paying the bills today or have to stay late at work or doing the groceries, I can make up my mind to do it happy.

Happiness doesn’t just happen to me, it’s a choice. Things might not quite be the way I want them to be but if I can keep the right attitude based on the faith of Whose child I am, that’s when I draw other people to God. To live happy is to live in victory. It is how I reveal the Father to the world.