January 2014
To all seakers of happiness:
You don’t know me, but somewhere over the mysterious vibes that connect mankind, I must have received your distress signal. Consider this my response to your call, and I hope that these words will offer a semblance of the love and support you deserve.
Happiness is perhaps the most misunderstood human emotion. We look for it in wealth, comfort, love, and good health. We expect it to be given to us, or hope it will magically appear and stay forever. How wrong we are!
If I have found happiness, it is no thanks to destiny for I, too, have seen my share of misfortune and am proud to have risen from the ashes of a dark childhood. For years I searched for joy in all the wrong places, just to find out that the key to ultimate bliss had been in my own heart all along. Having unveiled the secret, it’s my pleasure to share it with you. The message is clear, but it will be passed on only if you can hear me clearly.
Contrary to common belief, happiness is indescribable, has no shape, no size, and therefore can never be given or taken away. It is a flame within that only you can ignite. Find it, and you will soon learn how to keep it ablaze.
Try to picture each day as a gift with an expiration date! Imagine it’s a box, delivered to your door. You can receive the box and put it aside, knowing it’ll be of no use the next day. Continue doing this and you will soon have stacks of useless boxes. That is the past and all the days you neglected to cherish. Now instead pay closer attention to today, discover its content, and make use of it. There’s an art to opening a gift. Don’t rush and tear up the wrapping the way a child might. Instead, admire the ribbon, enjoy the paper’s design, even fold and save both. Then proceed to open the box.
Each day contains an abundance of gifts. It begins with the sunrise, perhaps a gentle rain, even deep snow. In each day, we can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste life. And yes, some days are dark and cold. But remember, one can even find a purpose for what may seem useless. Sometimes I jokingly tell my audience, “Should the box you open today contain crap, feed it to your roses and enjoy the blooms in spring!”
True as it may be that life is made easier for some, that there are those who enjoy a paved road, or that you may not have received your fair share of blessings, it is still wrong to assume that you have nothing to be grateful for. The fact that you can hold this paper, see the letters and read, is a blessing in itself.
Here I would like to quote Sa’adi, the 13th century Persian master of poetry. In his collection called “The Rose Garden” he says, “Each breath inhaled prolongs life, and when exhaled, it purifies the body. Therefore each breath contains two blessings and for each of those a gratitude is owed!”
Think about that. What a simple image, yet how profound is the meaning! The key to lasting happiness is in such pure and simple findings. As you expand your vision, the secret becomes even clearer and before you know it, you have ignited the flame within. Once you find that flame, I promise you, nothing can take away your happiness. Nothing!
It isn’t by shear chance that these words reach you, for I do believe in universal harmony. May you find comfort within your heart, may your spirit rise above the mundane standards, and may you know the best use for today’s gift and whatever the coming days will have to offer.
Your invisible friend,
Z. K. Ghahremani
