Smile

            Today I watched a Bollywood movie in which the hero is aware of his short life, other than his mother no one is aware of it. But this movie was so sad that I too was crying with the heroine. But the best part is, the hero  with his secret kept safely in his heart, works hard to bring smile to others by making them  happy by his words, presence, help, etc.. And he was successful in it and when he died he was more happier and peaceful , than he would be had he had a long life. When incidents like this happen we think. Isn’t it? Of What?  

            Of our lives, of course! What are we doing with our lives? Are we happy with our lives? Or have we reached our goal? We are always running and running - a race with no end. Striving for something which we cannot grasp and in the end we are always angry, tensed, blaming others for our own short comings.  The funny part is, we try our level best until we get it, that’s for sure, stamping without care all the loving hearts that helped us on the way, and in the end the elusive happiness is still far away.

            I’ll give an example, there was a sportsman named Ram. He was a football player. He was always unhappy. When he scored goals he yelled and showed his achievement; after that, he is unhappy, thinking that it wasn’t his best goal. He felt, he could have done better by just taking the ball directly from one goal post to the other. That became his aim. He started striving for it and in the end he did achieve it. But still he couldn’t find happiness. Do you know why? Because he had forgotten that he had his cronies who made a team. They were there to help him score the goal but he just thought of only himself. He had no one to share his happiness with. Is this what we are striving for? My Success! My Goal! My Children! My Car! My Home! My Job!

            Its good to think about self but not for selfish reasons. We do not know how long we will live but when we live its good to bring out at least one smile daily from the people around us. It has more value than money. Its a gift when passed from one face to the other  not only the face but also the soul within it illuminates. It opens the treasure chest of happiness, the contentment of having done something. Just look at the flowers that bloom. They don’t do anything extraordinary but they do their share of what they have to do - Bloom in their full glory with resplendent colours and spread the scent of their identity. Seeing them brings a smile to all faces. They are not thinking of tomorrow. Its the moment. Even if they are plucked from the plant they still stay fresh until their last breath. They just smile at nature. And the nature returns it with its full glory.  That is what we should do. Life might be long or short,  we do not know exactly but there is always the moment which is ours to share with. Don’t let it pass just like that.  You would be really sorry for it. Utilise it to the maximum. Do you know what my teacher wrote in my autograph before leaving school?

Smile A While,

And When You Smile ,

There Is A Smile And Another Smile,

And Miles And Miles Of Smile....

Your smile is the key to your soul don’t loose it. Use it abundantly, success would naturally follow. Be Happy.

            Now let me finish the story of Ram the football player. He went to a famous yogi and said, “Sir, I am not happy.” The yogi smiled and replied, “Let your team mates score goals.” Ram was shocked. He said, “That’s impossible! I have worked for it and I’m entitled to it.” The yogi replied, “You have a choice my child, either score goals or strive for happiness. You choose.” Ram with a heavy heart, slowly got up and left the yogi. He walked and walked and came to a park. There weren’t anybody around. So he sat on a bench under the tree. After sometime an old man came and sat on the bench near the fish pond which was a huge one. He saw the man opening a food pack which was not much but he halved it and took one piece and started feeding the fishes bit by bit and he ate the other half, when the food was over, he pocketed the paper and with a small smile stood up,  looked around and saw Ram, smiled and waved at him and walked off. That smile touched Ram’s heart. He decided to give up, scoring goals. He started sharing his talent with his team mates. He started giving opportunities for others  to score goals and in the end, he was more happier than all the goals scored in his lifetime. He became more successful than he imagined. He had more friends and above all he had more opportunities to share his happiness than he had thought of but in the end he had always a Smile on his face showing his contentment and fulfilment.

            That is what Smile is all about “The Light Of Our Soul”. Keep it intact.

Meena.