An old Arabic proverb
says that there are two kinds of people: those who can be happy but they aren't
and those who look for happiness but never find it. Are we to look for happiness
or it comes to us when we least expect it? Happiness and misfortune always go
into the same direction, closely and alongside. They pass each other during our
entire life; they intertwine and separate. And man, in all that chaos is always
striving for happiness, sometimes even without knowing what he is looking for.
He observes other people, looks back on seeing them and their happiness while
turning his back to his own. With that tremendous desire to have what others do
and to want what others do, he forgets about himself and doesn't know how to
live on what he has already got, even though he's got plenty: a wonderful
kingdom on this beautiful Earth of ours in which he can create, love, smile,
sing and jump; the kingdom in which he can steal a gust of wind, rays of the sun
and sea waves, without being told a word; the kingdom in which gods gave him the
power to create the works worthy of describing. Yet, man spends his days playing
lottery while life, being given to him only once, irreversibly passes by him and
disappears into the fog of wishes. And he's never as unhappy as he thinks he is
or as happy as he hoped he would be. He persistently seeks the hidden treasure
and curiously pokes his nose into other people's lives searching for the source
of their happiness. Even Epimetheus and Pandora lived happily until curiosity
stirred Pandora's mind and led her to unlock the marvellous box ornamented with
jewels and golden decorations out of which all the troubles and suffering of
human beings suddenly started coming out. Hope, which came out from the box
last, like a small bird, represented not only a sign of consolation to humanity
but also a warning that happiness is precious and rare and that it should be
kept. A moment of happiness wipes away all the days of torment in us and helps
us move on again. If people knew how little it takes to be happy they would
avoid the worst moments in life. We will realize whether we were happy or not
only when some misfortune happens. So, before you start looking for it, check -
maybe you're already happy. Happiness is small, ordinary and unobtrusive and
many aren't able to see it. All that we need to achieve it is within
ourselves.
In pursuit of happiness, author Suzana Stojanović,
04.23.2007.
۞
Jedna stara arapska
poslovica kaže da postoje dve vrste ljudi: oni koji mogu biti srećni ali to nisu
i oni koji traže sreću ali je ne nalaze. Da li se sreća traži ili nam se osmehne
onda kada je najmanje očekujemo? Sreća i nesreća uvek idu u istom pravcu, blisko
i naporedo. Prolaze jedna pored druge tokom celog našeg života, prepliću se i
razilaze. A čovek, u celom tom haosu stalno juri u potrazi za srećom, ponekad i
ne znajući šta traži. Posmatra druge ljude, osvrće se za njima i za njihovom
srećom okrećući svojoj leđa. U toj ogromnoj želji da ima ono što drugi imaju, da
želi ono što drugi žele, zaboravlja na sebe i ne ume da živi od onoga što već
ima, a ima mnogo: predivno carstvo na ovoj našoj lepoj Zemlji u kome može da
stvara, da voli, da se smeje, da peva i da skače; carstvo u kome može da krade
dašak vetra, sunčeve zrake i morske talase a da mu pri tom niko ništa ne kaže;
carstvo u kome su mu bogovi dali moć da čini dela dostojna opisivanja. Ipak,
čovek svoje dane provodi igrajući igre na sreću dok život koji mu je samo jednom
poklonjen nepovratno prolazi pored njega i nestaje u magli želja. I nikada nije
tako nesrećan kao što misli, ni tako srećan kao što se nadao da će biti. Uporno
traga za skrivenim blagom i radoznalo kopa po životima drugih ljudi tražeci
izvor njihove sreće. I Epimetej i Pandora živeli su srećno dok radoznalost nije
pomutila razum i navela Pandoru da otključa predivnu kutiju ukrašenu dragim
kamenjem i zlatnim ukrasima iz koje su odjednom počele da izlaze sve nevolje i
patnje ljudskog roda. Nada, koja je poslednja izašla iz kutije, kao neka mala
ptica, predstavljala je znak utehe čovečanstvu ali i opomenu da je sreća vredna
i retka i da je treba čuvati. Jedan minut sreće iščisti u nama sve dane mučenja
i pomogne nam da ponovo krenemo dalje. Kada bi ljudi znali koliko malo treba da
se bude srećan, izbegli bi najgore trenutke u životu. Da li smo bili srećni
shvatićemo tek kad nam se dogodi neka nesreća. Zato, pre nego što krenete da je
tražite, proverite - možda ste već srećni. Sreća je mala, obična i neupadljiva i
mnogi ne umeju da je vide. Sve što je potrebno da je sagradimo nalazi se u
nama.
U potrazi za srećom, autor Suzana Stojanović,
23.04.2007.
