Met a young women yesterday who is about to graduate with her Bachelor's degree. She is going to be an educator. Primarily wants to teach elementary school. Very sharp and smart young woman. I am very impressed by her.
Just now I was flipping through this book called FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Below is a video of him talking about Creativity, fulfillment and flow at a TED conference.
In the first few pages I read: "Happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good fortune or random chance. It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, on how we interpret them. Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person."
My first reaction upon reading this was: come on! That is like being "zen" all the time. Things have to affect you and ....etc etc...But then I was reminded of the young woman I mentioned in the beginning. She has 6 siblings and limited resources but a great disposition towards life. If you met her you would never know that her family only has 2 cars that all 9 of them share as they make all their various appointments in a town where there is no pubic transport. So, I admire her for her spirit.
What also struck me was that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. That is her ambition (as I know it. it may even be bigger than that). She cannot afford to relocate to another city even if she found a job. Then I thought about myself- I have always wanted to be an Oscar winner. Ever since I saw the Oscars on TV in India. So, my ambition is that. Am I anywhere closer to getting an Oscar? Well, at least I am in America. :) But really...I started thinking...how has my ambition affected the choices I have made. Just like how my interpretation of what is happening might affect how happy I feel about something.
It is all in the mind. My ambition may not get me an Oscar, but my desire affects my work in small and big ways. I am sure of it. It is hard to explain how, but I can tell that it has affected. Similarly, my intention to look at things and events and deduce positive interpretation from them affects my happiness quotient.
So what am I saying.....keep dreaming big, keep believing the positive even in the toughest of situations. Mind is mightier than anything!
Enjoy the video:
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