Goals of happiness
By Amar Jit

HAPPINESS in life does not come to those who, after attaining a goal, sit down to enjoy its fruits. This is because a few days later, boredom begins to set in after the initial euphoria that successful completion of any venture releases. This is bound to happen as happiness, as such, does not exist. It is a by-product of doing something indeed. And once the doing stops, happiness takes to wings.

So, how can one be continuously happy? By fixing a new goal, once a goal has already been achieved, and going after it with all the vigour, innovative spirit, zest, competitiveness and enthusiasm that one can command.

However, most people think otherwise. Once they become a winner in a big or mediocre way, they mistakenly think that by resting on their laurels now they will have unending happiness.

In practice it does not work out that way. Udyan ,(25), discovered it the hard way. He was a salesman for life insurance and was not doing well. Despite his best efforts he could not get a break into big business until he met Birbal, a veteran salesman in his fifties.

Outgoing and helpful Birbal heard the woeful tale of the brooding Udyan. Spotting that the young man was not clear what he meant by success, he suggested to Udyan to fix sales figures he would like to attain by December 31 in order to call it a success, and then to put his total self into it with all his vigour, tact and zeal.

Finding Udyan vaccilating, genial Birbal fixed a target for him. It was indeed twice the amount of insurance Udyan had been selling till now.

Next, Birbal asked Udyan to make a plan of calling on his possible customers each day and the amount of insurance he hoped to sell at the end of it. He was asked to image himself, calling on his customers and talking in a way as to win them over. "Image your self how you would like to look", said Birbal "Look confident, clear-headed and go-getter and you would become that".

Udyan began to do that. As soon as he got out of bed in the morning, he drew a list of persons he was to call on during the day. Next, he imaged himself as a super class salesman and held that picture in his mind before setting out for work. Soon his sales figures began to zoom and he surpassed the target set for December 31.

But then he relaxed and began following the routine. He was content with the new target and felt happy with his new found achievement. Expectedly boredom set in, and very soon his sales figures bagan to drop for want of new push and drive in his efforts. Udyan became depressed.

It was then that he chanced to meet Birbal at an insurance meet. Udyan blurted out his problem and helpful Birbal told him the secret of happiness. He said that happiness lay in setting a higher and better goal, and striving for it, reaching it and then going in for still newer and higher goals.

He asked Udyan to set a bigger target for the year and then lose himself in chasing it. Udyan did that. Year after year he fixed newer targets and either attained them in full or came closer to them. Today, he is one of the topmost insurance salesmen in his company. He has been offered administrative jobs in the organisation but he has declined them simply because the way he is now he can fix his own goals each year and enjoy the excitement of chasing them.

One of the traits of happier people is that they don’t think they have done their best yet. In fact, the moment a creative person says so, he is finished. Because like life, which never stops, happiness has to be that way. It lies in movements not at the physical level only but at the mental and spiritual planes as well.

In truth, happiness is closely linked with our thoughts. For instance, the more outgoing, helpful and concerned you are about fellow human beings around you, the happier you will be. Selfish people are hardly ever happy.

Being helpful and being liberal, generous, helpful, loving and compassionate go together. So these qualities must be cultivated as well. If a man simply fixes one goal and achieves it and then starts chasing another goal, then he is on his way to becoming a grabber, a hoarder, a miser and an egocentric. That will never make him truly happy. In truth, people who move from goal to goal and success to success, distribute their surplus wealth for the welfare of the needy. It is such persons who have been responsible for funding institutions of higher learning, hospitals, and so on, thereby enriching the quality of life of their community besides bringing comfort and succour to those who need it the most.

So, if you want to be continually happy do fix a worthwhile goal first and then become involved in achieving it with all the enthusiasm you can muster. Work until you achieve it and then fix yet another goal and begin chasing it with zest and verve.