A quote from a popular Hindi movie goes:
“When your friend fails, you feel bad… but you feel worse when your friend comes first.”
A lot of people will agree with this. I know because I do.
To be truly happy for others is something very few people can do. How a person reacts to other people’s success is a true measure of how satisfied a person is with his or her own life. Usually another person’s success has little or no bearing on your life, and you yet you can’t be happy for the person, because that person’s success reminds you of your own failures.
Jealousy also plays a part in stopping you from being happy for others, but more than that it is what is missing in your own life that prevents you from being happy for others. The little voice that you try to suppress, but fail, is the voice of that part of you that is not satisfied with the way your life is progressing.
It is important to remember here that it is not difficult to be sad for people who are going through a bad time. You immediately feel sorry for someone you see is in trouble.
So, how can we be truly happy for others?
There is only one thing you have to do: Be happy and satisfied with your own life. Once you are happy with your own life, you won’t be jealous because someone else finds his or her happiness too.
I know this isn’t easy. But what thing worth achieving ever is?
For now, I can’t honestly say that I have mastered the art of being truly happy for others, but I am trying. Got any tips?
What do you think?