IS HAPPINESS AS EXPENSIVE AS WE THINK?

We all have different meaning for happiness. We all can experience happiness in different ways, according to everyone’s circumstances. I have met random people in my life who didn’t help but leave me still confused on the clear definition of happiness. We are struggling for it to the extent that some do pretend to actually own it but wait is it so! Is that even happiness?

I thought happiness  is guaranteed to the rich people until I met Mr John. Why was he so sad? Was it that having plenty of money was not enough to buy him happiness? And then I figured out that, regardless of the money he had, but his life was full of commotions, no good relationship with his relatives, neighbors, friends and even workmates.

I was further confused after meeting Miss Candy, she was very intelligent and educated more than all intellectual ladies that I’ve ever met. Well, she had an ability of assisting people’s problems by bringing strategies on how to deal with them, but why then was she always going to see a psychiatrist? Why did she seem to be so down and depressed? Was her education and wisdom not enough for her to be happy? And then I recalled, “THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI”, was a type of person as Candy. She was over working to the extent that no time was left to rest and enjoy the little she had.

Maybe I was all wrong, and I thought perhaps servants of God  are the happiest people. Through laughter, charming and joyful speeches in front of congregation Pastor Kiyumbi seemed happy and enthusiast. He inspired me to be a pastor . Unfortunately, one day I was passing near his home and find him in chaos with his wife. I was in awe! After hearing that, the source of all that was pastor’s wife tendency of cheating with little street boys, so presumably even Pastor was not happy? Huh!

What about Mr Hamza, the wisest of all old men in our village, advisor of the village committee, the guy who used to gather youths and preach good manners. Among of top rich people in our society with big herd of cattle and couple of flocks. I was shocked after receiving the news that he was caught stealing other people’s properties in our neighbor village. So, all those he had was not super enough for making him happy? 

‘Maybe sexual desires make us sad‘ was another thought that spiked in my mind. Yes, I was single and lonely and worse enough I was in a peak of my adolescence. My hypothesis went to the higher percentage of being true after meeting Alhaj Majogoro, Sheikh of Regional Mosque with four wives. Whose life was fascinating and of anyone’s dream, he seemed full of joy and I thought those four fat women in different houses were the source of all that. Well, I personally caught him awith another woman (concubine) in Maua Lodge and since then, I lost my hope as even four women weren’t satisfactory for someone to be happy. Teeh! This reminded me of Mwana Fa’s hit “Alikufa kwa Ngoma”.

Is this thing called happiness as expensive as this? Why then, young William at Mgolole orphanage looked happier than Beda whose parents are still around? Why Zakia, who is a prostitute, look rich and happier than Joyce who is a street vendor doing legal activities? Why Dulla, who is a thief look rich and happier than Joackim who is always riding his motorcycle to earn his living in a legal way?

Then, I recalled from years back, when a person who was muscular and strong was the one who seemed superior than others, think of Shaka of the Zulu Empire. We are now in the world that a person with money and wealthy than others is most superior, think of Bill Gates. I am trying to imagine where the world is heading, people are struggling for personal happiness, so I get worried that it will come a season in which a person with more happiness will be a superior of all people. (But, Bill Gate aint the happiest person yet, or is he!)

There are two things which most of us don’t understand. “We are struggling for happiness and not for contentment”. You can fake happiness but not contentment, happiness is granted but contentment is created within a person (him/herself). Contentment means you are the source of your own happiness. You can create your happiness and enjoy it. Be satisfactory of who you are, what you get and plan for your better self and compete with your former self for happiness.

Thank you! I will be pleased if you will leave a comment and a message as reading from you always cheers my day.

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