HOW TO BE HAPPY

an Asian immigrant—let’s call him Mr. S.A. From the moment we met, I noticed his constant cheerfulness. His colleagues confirmed that he was different from most people: he seemed untouched by stress. Curious, I asked him why. Smiling, he replied, “God Almighty made me and threw the mould away.” Later, he invited me to stay at his home for a few days. This gave me the chance to observe him closely and discover the secret behind his stress-free life. During my stay, one of his relatives visited in an agitated state. The visitor said, “Mr. So-and-so is trying to damage your reputation. He is spreading negative propaganda against you.” Mr. S.A. listened quietly, without reacting. Finally, the man demanded, “I’m telling you something serious, and you are not responding!” Mr. S.A. replied calmly, “Yeh unka problem hai, mera problem to nahin.” (“It is his problem, and not mine.”) The next day, we had planned a sightseeing trip to several places. At the last moment, I said, “I’m not in the mood to go out today. Let’s stay home.” Without a trace of disappointment, he said, “Chalo, yeh bhi theek hai.” (“No problem, this is also okay.”) From these incidents, I discovered two principles that anyone can adopt to live a happier life. First Principle: It is his problem, and not mine. This is the art of problem management. In life, you will always encounter problems—your own or those of others. The key is to manage them rather than let them consume you. If an issue is not directly yours to solve, you need not carry its burden. Second Principle: If you don’t get the best, be content with the second-best. Life doesn’t always give us exactly what we want. In every situation, there is usually something of value—the “second A happy life can often only be built in the midst of unhappy conditions. Life is not about eliminating all discomfort, but about managing yourself so you can create a “happy corner” within an imperfect world.