Happiness is a journey, not a destination

A beautiful, expensively dressed lady walked in for psychological counselling. “Doctor, I am not happy with my life. I am always sad. Please help me.” Immediately, he called the cleaning woman in and asked her to narrate her story to the rich woman. 

The woman sat down and said, “It all seems a long while ago. I lost my husband to malaria and my son was killed in a car accident. I was devastated and felt as though I had nothing to live for. I was constantly in tears, sad, unhappy and depressed,” she said. 

After a moment, she added, “One rainy day, when I was feeling very depressed, a kitten kept mewing in distress. I took it home. I warmed some milk and fed it. It slurped it up and purred happily. It kept bumping against my legs. 

I burst out laughing. That is when I realised how I can find happiness again. It comes when you help others, which is what I do. I volunteer. Today no one is happier than me and I sleep soundly. Come with me when I go to help others and find your happiness.” 

The rich lady smiled and nodded. ‘Let’s go now,” she said.

Moral: Happiness does not lie in tomorrow, but now. The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but how others are happy because of you.