The secret to happiness
Today was quite a positive day. It was as if someone put on a filter in front of my eyes to only see the positive things in life, where I saw beauty based on people's behaviour and character rather than appearance, where everything just went my way today.
There is a taxi driver in Singapore (who I have yet to find) that holds a big black book at the back seat of his car. On it is the inscription: "If you are having a good day today, write it down. If you are having a bad day, read the book". And when the moment comes when I will need some anti-depressants when I'm older, I hope that I can look at this blog as a source of joy. Even today there are some positive things that I document here that stay in my memory, and I hope that it will for the rest of my days.
Perhaps it was partly to do with the fact that half the school wasn't here today, giving a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere, or perhaps it was the bittersweet moment in feeling that I was going to give up my role as the senior council and that I was going to address the Grade 12s for the last time.
But I think that at the end of the day it was the idea that you woke up thinking that "I'm not going to let anyone ruin my day today", which I think is the mentality that many of us fail to wake up with every morning. Even if one may say this every morning, there is the idea of whether you believe it or not.
This reminds me of the time I watched a movie called "About Time", and if you are feeling down recently I suggest this movie to you. It was basically about a man named Tim who has the special ability to go back and live any day of his life. He can go back to any part of his past and only the males in his life will have the ability to do so. Before he passes away his dad tells him the secret to happiness via time travel and he narrates it in the movie.
"And so he told me his secret formula for happiness. Part one of the two part plan was that I should just get on with ordinary life, living it day by day, like anyone else. But then came part two of Dad's plan. He told me to live every day again almost exactly the same. The first time with all the tensions and worries that stop us noticing how sweet the world can be, but the second time noticing. Ok Dad, let's give it a go."
And I believe this is true. True happiness only comes when you fail to acknowledge the things that make you worried, sad and depressed. It is not accentuating the feeling of happiness, it is getting rid of the bad emotions that keep you from being happy.
So try your best and forget the bad things that make you unhappy. You only get to live your life once after all.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
There is a taxi driver in Singapore (who I have yet to find) that holds a big black book at the back seat of his car. On it is the inscription: "If you are having a good day today, write it down. If you are having a bad day, read the book". And when the moment comes when I will need some anti-depressants when I'm older, I hope that I can look at this blog as a source of joy. Even today there are some positive things that I document here that stay in my memory, and I hope that it will for the rest of my days.
Perhaps it was partly to do with the fact that half the school wasn't here today, giving a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere, or perhaps it was the bittersweet moment in feeling that I was going to give up my role as the senior council and that I was going to address the Grade 12s for the last time.
But I think that at the end of the day it was the idea that you woke up thinking that "I'm not going to let anyone ruin my day today", which I think is the mentality that many of us fail to wake up with every morning. Even if one may say this every morning, there is the idea of whether you believe it or not.
This reminds me of the time I watched a movie called "About Time", and if you are feeling down recently I suggest this movie to you. It was basically about a man named Tim who has the special ability to go back and live any day of his life. He can go back to any part of his past and only the males in his life will have the ability to do so. Before he passes away his dad tells him the secret to happiness via time travel and he narrates it in the movie.
"And so he told me his secret formula for happiness. Part one of the two part plan was that I should just get on with ordinary life, living it day by day, like anyone else. But then came part two of Dad's plan. He told me to live every day again almost exactly the same. The first time with all the tensions and worries that stop us noticing how sweet the world can be, but the second time noticing. Ok Dad, let's give it a go."
And I believe this is true. True happiness only comes when you fail to acknowledge the things that make you worried, sad and depressed. It is not accentuating the feeling of happiness, it is getting rid of the bad emotions that keep you from being happy.
So try your best and forget the bad things that make you unhappy. You only get to live your life once after all.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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