Pursuit of Happiness

I am a happy person by nature. I have had a blissful childhood and a great support system I can fall back on in times of difficulty. In spite of all the lovely blessings I have, I do have my bouts of sadness due to no particular reason. 

On one such days , I passed by an urban slum near my home in India . I have been always surprised at how the poor are able to find their moment of fun, even when I am depressed over their lifestyle. 

Even the poorest take time to be happy and even the richest find ways to be unhappy. Surely, there is no linear relationship between success & happiness or money & happiness. But, there should be some relationship. 

Here is my hypothesis:

 Happiness = log(Success) * log(Environment) * Personal Happiness Constant

If everything else is the same, one's achievements or environment should improve the happiness. However, given that this is a logarithmic function, there is a point beyond which improvements in money or environment would have little impact on happiness. Classic principle of law of diminishing marginal utility. As Bill Gates put it "Once you get beyond a million dollars,it's still the same hamburger". Money can buy happiness, but beyond a point, its effect becomes unnoticeable,hence the log function!

But, the more important factor is our "personal constant". This is our innate ability to be happy, regardless of our surroundings. This is why even the poor can smile and laugh, even when their bank balance & surroundings are abysmal. 

If a person's personal constant for happiness is high, he/she can be happier compared to a person with a better surrounding & success factors but poorer personal constant.This personal constant defines who we are and how we can manage the downturns of life. While our successes can push up our happiness, we are always weighed down by what is inside us.

This personal happiness constant can indeed be increased by spirituality, reading good books and by interacting with more optimistic individuals.

Here's to more Inherent Happiness Constant for years to come!