GRATITUDE - THE MEDICINE FOR OUR HAPPINESS






Pic.: Anima D'Cunha


“We cannot be grateful and unhappy at the same time.”

An old one?

Yes, it is.

It means, being thankful for the situation we are in – whatever situation it may be – is the basic key to our happiness.

Now, I said “Whatever situation it may be.”

Why did I say that?



Yesterday, in our PD session, I was showing to our young students a five minutes Lifebuoy ad. It was a powerful ad about health and hygiene… One of the ways of ensuring it is by keeping our hands clean (Remember it is an ad from Lifebuoy!)

Gudappa is on his way to the local small temple… His five-year-old son and some people from his village are following him… there are drums, a beautiful song in the background… children dancing… The highlight of this procession is that Gundappa is making this visit – the pilgrimage – on his hands… yes, he is walking on his palms, his whole body upside down… all the way from his hut to the village temple… through the rough and rugged path… A passerby young lady is curious… On reaching the temple, Gundappa sits down, calls his son to his bosoms and cries, “Mera  bachcha aaj paanch saal ka hogaya.”

 “But, that’s not such a great event to celebrate like this,” the amused lady reacts before one of the elders in the village.

“It ‘is’ a great event madam,” the village elder informs the lady with calmness, “This little boy is the first child of Gundappa who has lived till the age of five!”

The music and the lady’s reaction to this makes our hearts stop!







While I was showing this ad to our young-ones, one of my doctor friends arrived. When the film ended, I requested my friend to say a few words for our students…

My doctor friend did not talk about health and hygiene… Instead, he chose to talk about the attitude of gratitude…

“You all have survived much longer than the age 5, haven’t you?” He asked. He continued, “Some of my patients, complain to me saying the medicine is not working… they are not getting cured. I tell them that if they remain grateful in their hearts, the medicines ‘will’ work faster… They don’t easily agree with that theory…Then, I tell them, that they are lucky that they are  able to come to my clinic unlike many patients who cannot… ‘Some of my patients are able to come, but they cannot climb the 2nd floor… You can…. So, I have to make a home visit for them’… To the ones who I see at their homes, I tell when I hear them grumble, ‘You are lucky… because, there are so many out there who are in the hospital’… To the ones who grumble in the hospital, I say, ‘You are fortunate that you are not in ICU’… And, to the ones who grumble in the ICU, I try to calm down saying, ‘Thank God, you are still alive’!”


So, whatever situation I am in – there is someone out there whose situation is worse than mine… And, frankly, that truth is enough to bring in me the attitude of gratitude… If it doesn’t, then, happiness is only an illusion I am chasing, like a fool!

“I complained I had no shoes till I saw a man with no feet!”

Very old one?

Never mind.


GERALD D’CUNHA

Video: YouTube

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...