Tales of joy

Among the myriad tales of life, my pick is tales of joy and those who script such tales. Let me begin with my friend, Kavya. With an angelic smile, a contagious laughter and a positive outlook on life and the world around her, she is an epitome of joy. No matter what goes on in her world — and she does have her share of life’s woes and troubles — she makes sure that she never gets bitter about life and that she remains joyful.

I remember asking her once the secret of her perennial joy. With her characteristic smile, the answer came in one word, “Gratitude.” She attributed the everflowing spring of happiness she felt to the gratitude she nurtured for the blessings in life. “When I do the math, all the blessings outweigh the setbacks, no matter how many I may encounter,” she declared.

Perhaps, she was an eloquent witness to the words of William Arthur Ward who said, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” I guess the root of joy is gratefulness.

This is precisely the simple theory I once heard from a cab driver who drove me to the airport on a rainy day through unruly traffic. The downpour was torrential; the potholed roads were water logged and the traffic was slow-moving. Cutting across lanes and honking loudly, there was pandemonium and disorder on the highway. I caught myself cursing at the chaos and the indiscipline of others on the road.

Yet, the humble man behind the wheels was humming to the tune of the song from the FM radio. “How can you sing with traffic like this,” I asked puzzled. “Ma’am, if I let the traffic from keeping me happy, I cannot spend a single day of my life in happiness. I have learnt to focus on the good, of which there is plenty,” he replied joyfully. Maybe he was saying that “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Happiness comes from many sour­ces to the one who is open to it, is what I gather from such joyful people. Whether it is the glory of the blue sky or the beauty of a flower-laden landscape or the sound of laughter of children on the streets, there are plenty of avenues to rekindle the spirit of joy in life. And some people truly know the art of basking in these joys. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”