happy-go-lucky by fizza schon husain
DESCRIPTION
Your Short Guide to HappinessTRANSCRIPT
About This Book
This book is written after seeing numerous people
who have much more than what is needed to be content,
yet they complain, and seeing those who have very little,
yet they are happy and grateful.
This book contains quotes from the people who have
had an impact on my life, in addition to sayings of Western
and Eastern thinkers and philosophers.
This book is the culmination of numerous late night
bonding sessions, intense conversations, long hours of
discussions on life, karma, what the future holds for us
and organized thought and research.
This book offers a practical approach not only in
dealing with, but overcoming the various hardships we face
in our day-to-day lives with a positive attitude.
This book says to you in short: “Be happy. Be at
peace. Life is too short to be anything, but, Happy. Don’t
worry about tomorrow—God has already been there.
Author’s Note
I dedicate this book to everyone in search for happiness.
It could not have been completed without “All praise to
God” and a HUGE thanks to my family and friends who
have always stood by me and helped me to reach my true
happiness. I hope this short guide will help you achieve
happiness, reinforce your faith in the Almighty and believe
God’s plans are better than your dreams. Keep me in your
prayers…
Wishing you eternal happiness,
Fizza Schon Husain
Table of Contents
Everyone wants to be Happy
What is the biggest fear for every
individual?
Why do we forget to live in the
present, in fear of the future?
Faith
Faith in God
Life as we know it
Count your Blessings
True Happiness
Forms of Happiness
Change is not always bad
Quotes & Sayings
Each one of us, regardless of our size, weight, nationality and
origin, has a purpose in life. Some of us may know what our
purpose may be, while others may not, but it is certain that all
of us have one.
Everyone wants to be Happy
Whatever country or society people live in, they all
have the same deep desire: to be or become happy.
Sometimes, we tend to think that the purpose of our
life is to have a good job, a complete family, make a
million dollars, run our own successful business, make
our family proud, travel the world, spread
Islam/Religion, buy a Chanel/Birkin Bag, be famous,
etc, but in reality those are just the goals to being
happy, not the purposes of our lives. Think about any
of the above—why do you want a good job? Why do
you want a family? Why do you want to buy a Birkin?
Simply, because it makes you happy. Sometimes,
subconsciously, you may do certain things just to fit
in to society or be more accepted by others but that,
too, if thought about deeply, will lead to your
happiness. For instance, we do many things not
because we actually want to but because we feel we
have to just in order for others to think of us in a
certain manner. Think about it, would you really want
a huge solitaire if you lived alone in a forest? In our
daily lives we are constantly experiencing happiness
and unhappiness, but we still remain ignorant as to
what happiness really is. I spent a long time trying to
figure out what happiness is . When I first thought
about happiness for women in Eastern societies, I
saw it as a matter of becoming financially secure or
getting married to a guy who would provide happiness .
The popular belief in Eastern societies is that
happiness for a woman is to be found in marriage.
However, looking at friends who were married, I
realized that marriage didn't necessarily guarantee
happiness. I saw couples who had been passionately in
love suffering from lack of attraction soon after
their wedding. I saw women who had married men
with money or status, but fought constantly.
Then I thought about happiness for men in the
eastern society, which is based on standing on your
own feet, becoming financially stable and being
looked upon as a successful man and secondarily, on
upholding a good family life, etc. The general view in
the Pakistani society about men is that their
happiness comes from being wealthy. Even though
your wealth does not justify for your character,
there is a misconception that your wealth is
proportionate to your happiness. For example, one
would assume, “Oh! He ’s a billionaire. He has the most
expensive cars; Armani suits, Louis Vuitton
sunglasses and a Rolex watch…what does he have to
be sad about? He must be so happy.”
Truth is only you yourself know best whether you are
feeling joy or struggling with pain. These things are
not known to other people. Even a man who has great
wealth, social recognition and many achievements may
still be shadowed by indescribable suffering deep
within his heart. On the other hand, an elderly man
who is not fortunate financially, leading an unmarried
and simple life, may feel joy and happiness in his
heart every day.
Gradually, I realized that the secret of happiness
lays within us— in building a strong inner self and
faith that no trial or hardship can ruin. I saw that
happiness for anyone - man or woman - does not come
simply from having a formal education , be it a
Harvard degree, or from wealth, be it a Billion Dollar
Lottery or from marriage, be it a perfect marriage
(which only exist in movies of course), it comes from
within ourselves.
When I say happiness comes from within, I mean that
if you are not happy or at peace internally, no matter
how many retail therapies you go for or how many
chocolates you eat or how many people you meet , it
will only give you temporary happiness, which will
soon fade away, bringing you back to your usual
unhappy self. True happiness comes with having the
strength to confront and conquer one's own
weaknesses and fears. Only when we have conquered
our fears, does it become possible to lead a truly
happy life, enjoy a successful marriage, etc .
What is the biggest fear for every individual?
You may think today that your biggest fear is losing
your job, health, wealth, family, social status, etc.
The thought: “Oh my god, if this happens I will die or
if that happens I will faint, etc” may cross your mind,
BUT, what actually is your biggest fear? It is the
future…Fear of the Future . What will happen? Even
for something bad that happens in the present or
happened in the past, we think about the impact of it
and what will happen (Future)…Fear of the Future.
Why do we spend so much time worrying about the
future, when it ’s already been pre-written? With
prayers, certainly, what’s pre-written can be re-
written but why spend so much of our time thinking
about what may potentially happen and in the
process end up ruining what is happening?
Why do we forget to live in the present, in
fear of the future?
The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they
always see the past in a more positive light than it was, the
present in a more negative light than it is, and the future less
resolved than it will be. Sometimes, we are so engrossed
in thinking about the past or the future , that we
forget to live the present. Don’t think about the past, it
brings tears, don’t think more about future, it brings
fears...think about the present because it brings cheers , even
in a situation that seems bad, it is better to live through it
now, than worry about something else that has not even
happened or has happened, because both are not in our control.
Most of us are scared of what may happen tomorrow…Will I
become successful? Will I stay healthy? Will I find a nice
guy/girl? Will I be happy? Will I keep others happy? Amidst
all this fear about our future, we forget to think about the
thing that leads to our happiness…Faith
Faith
All of us naturally tend to place our faith in ourselves, our
parents, husband/wife, siblings, friends, etc. For example, we
think: “no way, my sister would never do that to me,” or “my
friend would never say that about me,” Or “my husband/wife
would never leave me.” Why? Because we trust them, we have
faith in them and we feel love for them. What we forget is,
PEOPLE CHANGE. If we have no guarantee over our own
feelings changing, how can we guarantee that another person
won’t change? Today, you may know or may think you love XYZ,
but what is the guarantee that even tomorrow you will love
XYZ? There is no guarantee for anything in life but certainly,
there is hope. While we are so busy putting our faith in people
and ourselves, etc we forget to put our faith in the one that
will NEVER change … GOD. We keep telling ourselves, this is
what I want because I know this will make me happy NOW. For
example, you may think that you want a particular person but
if you think about it deeply, it’s not a particular person you
want. What you really want is to be happy with this “perfect
for me” person in your mind right now. When you don’t get that
person, you become upset and sad. Why? Because you had
faith in your judgment and thought “I know I’ll be happy with
her/him” What we fail to realize is that if we do not get
him/her, it’s because God has foreseen that the happiness we
deserve is not in this particular relationship. How can we think
we know more than the one who can see everything (GOD)?
Certainly, you have to try your best to achieve your goals
but leave the result on god.
Faith in God
The day you allow yourself to believe in God and his power over
your destiny, your problems will be reduced to zero. BELIEVE
nothing will go wrong because GOD is writing the script of your
life and he only writes masterpieces. A true believer must
always know that only God can help him/her, and in times of
distress we should thus seek God. Why? Because God is the
Creator of this world and He has control over everything, but
we human beings would rather put trust in the creations
rather than the Creator. We spend hours and hours discussing
our problems with our loved ones (which is good and helps to
ease the pain temporarily) and complaining “How could she/he
say this about me?” or “Did you see what he/she did to me?” or
“I was stupid for trusting him/her, why do all bad things
happen to me?” BUT we forget to talk to the one who can, not
only ease the pain, but also solve the problem (GOD).
We should realize that our money, our contacts, our
connections will not solve our problems or avail us (yes they
can help) but only the Creator of the heaven and earth will
solve our problems.
When everything is going well, it is easy for us to believe God
is there. Only when things go wrong, do we start questioning
God. However, those are the times when we have to hold on to
our faith the most. Most people give up right when they are
about to be rewarded. Some people wonder if someone passes
away, how can one justify that and believe it was for a reason.
For example “But he/she was so young, he/she did not even see
anything in life yet, etc” Sometimes we tend to become bitter
upon losing a loved one and question “Why him/her?” Ask
yourself, if you lend your friend your dress, and then later ask
for it back, is it unfair? No right? So if God takes back what
belongs to him, how can we question it?
Faith in God does not mean you sit there waiting for life to
happen to you. You certainly have to try your best to
achieve your goals, but, if after giving something your best
try (actions & prayers), it did not fall through, know it is
god’s plan. Faith in god does not mean everything will go
exactly how you want it to go, it just means that when it does
not go according to how you had planned, you will BELIEVE,
this was God’s plan & it cannot be wrong. Believe that “The will
of God will never take you where God’s grace cannot protect
you,” and “When God takes something from you, he’s not
punishing you, but merely opening your hands to something
better.” You may not see the good in a difficult situation at
the first pinch of pain, but that is the time when you have to
hold on to your faith the most. “If god closes one door, he
opens another but we are so lost staring at the closed door, we
don’t see the one that’s opened for us.”
Do you want to live life sulking over something that’s happened,
something that you can do nothing about? Do you want to
waste today in fear of what may happen tomorrow? Do you
want to question the one who knows what’s best for us more
than we do? Always ask yourself, “If God is with you, then
what do you have to fear? And if God is against you, then what
hope do you have?” Remember, the most beautiful pictures
are developed by negatives in a dark room, so if you see
darkness in your life, BELIEVE that God is making a beautiful
picture for you.
The day you have complete faith that “Nothing can go wrong
with God by my side, even in a difficult situation, BELIEVE,
this is just a part of a bigger and better plan,” is the day you
will find inner peace and overcome your fear, which will in turn
lead to eternal happiness/peace, regardless of whether or not
people change, or things go according to plan.
Life as we know it
Happiness (even with faith in God) does not give you
a life without problems, but rather gives you the
strength to overcome the problems that come your
way. With faith in God, every problem of yours will
be rewarded for . “If you get what you want, be happy
and grateful, if you don’t get what you want, be even
happier because you got what God wanted for you .”
There is no such thing as a problem-free life;
difficulties are unavoidable. But how you experience
and react to your problems is in your control . All you
need to believe is “Gods plans are better than your
dreams” and remember, every test in your life makes you
better or bitter...the only difference is "I”
Count your Blessings
Remember the blessings God has given you, and how they
surround you from above and below, from every direction.
Imagine yourself without the smallest body part and think for
a minute how blessed you are to be healthy. Always look at
those below you when counting your blessings and always look
at those above you when counting your good deeds. If you have
food in your fridge, clothes on your body, a roof over your
head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the
entire world. If you have money in your wallet, a little change
and can go anywhere you want, you are among the top 8% of
the worlds wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more
health than illness, you are more blessed than the million
people who will not survive this week. If you can actually read
this book and understand it, you are more fortunate than the
3 billion people in the world who cannot see, or suffer from
being mental. Which of the blessings of your lord will you
deny? Why is it that when God is giving us everything we want,
we do not question Him, but the second He takes one thing
away, we question Him?
*You can also watch “Should we really be complaining by Fiza Schon Husain”
on www.youtube.com for more information about Being Grateful.
True Happiness
True happiness is to be found within, in the state of
our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some
distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However
much you try, you can never run away from yourself.
And if you are weak, suffering will follow you
wherever you go. You will not find happiness if you
don't challenge your weaknesses and change yourself
from within. Happiness is to be found as you struggle
to overcome one obstacle after another.
Forms of Happiness
Relative Happiness depends on things outside of
ourselves: friends and family, surroundings, the size
of our home or family income is what we feel when a
desire is fulfilled, or something we have longed for is
obtained. While the happiness such things bring us is
certainly real, the fact is that none of it lasts
forever. Times change. Things change. People change.
This kind of happiness shatters easily when external
conditions alter. This kind of happiness is also based
on comparison with others. We may feel this kind of
happiness at having a newer or bigger home than the
neighbors, or our friends. But that feeling turns to
misery the moment they start making new additions
to theirs!
Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is something
we must find within. It means establishing a state of
life in which we are never defeated by trials and
where just being alive is a source of great joy. This
persists no matter what we might be lacking, or what
might happen around us. A deep sense of joy is
something which can only exist in the innermost
reaches of our life, and which cannot be destroyed
by any external forces. It is forever.
Change is not always bad
In everybody’s life, there comes a situation (even if not
directly personal), that makes them grow, or makes them
stronger or wiser. It can be something positive, like
transitioning into being a parent, or something challenging, like
losing a loved one. But believe that everything happens for a
reason. Every experience God gives us, every person he takes
away or puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a
future only he can see. What is important is to learn from
these situations. What happens to us may not completely be in
our control but how we deal with it is in our complete control.
Something good ALWAYS comes out of something that seems
bad. Rather than comparing ourselves with others, we
should compare who we are today with whom we were
yesterday, and who we are today with whom we will
be tomorrow. While this may seem simple and obvious,
true happiness is found in a l ife of constant
advancement. At the same, worries or situations that
could have made us miserable can actually be a source
of growth when we approach them with courage,
wisdom and faith in God. Try your best to get what
you want but if you still do not achieve it, know
that there is something better for you. Remember,
God may not change things for you but he certainly
will change you for things. Problems are unavoidable,
but with a positive attitude and the right amount of
faith, you will be able to find the good in every bad .
Be happy. Be at peace. Life is too short to be anything but
happy. Don’t worry about tomorrow, god has already been
there.
QUOTES & SAYINGS
- Faith in God includes faith in his timings.
- People change, things go wrong , but always
remember LIFE GOES ON.
- Never do something permanently stupid when
you are temporarily upset.
- Value those who love you, while collecting
pebbles; you don’t want to end up losing a
diamond.
- It’s not about finding similarities, it’s about
respecting differences.
- Time heals everything, give time, some time.
- Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants
pain...but you can’t have a rainbow without a
little rain.
- In search for the stars, don’t forget about the
shells in the sea.
- It takes a lot more than love to make a
relationship work.
QUOTES & SAYINGS
- Your wealth does not justify for your
character.
- Are you really sorry? Or Are you just scared of
Karma?
- What’s pre-written, with prayers can be re-
written
- Happiness is a journey, not a destination .
- Everything is ok in the end; if it’s not ok… it’s
not the end.
- Being happy does not mean everything is
perfect, it means you’ve decided to look beyond
the imperfections.
- Life is 10% of what you make of it and 90% how
you take it.
- Best things happen when you least expect them
to.
QUOTES & SAYINGS
- Happy moments, Thank god…Difficult Moments,
Seek god…Quiet Moments…Worship God, Painful
Moments, Trust God…Every Moment, Thank God
- Always remember, you are too blessed to be
stressed.
- You are what you eat.
- The most beautiful pictures are developed by
negatives in a dark room, so If you see
darkness in your life, BELIEVE that god is
making a beautiful picture for you.
- Expecting life to be fair because you are a
good person is like expecting a bull not to hurt
you because you are vegetarian.
- Treat others how you would want to be treated
- God may not change things for you, but he will
surely change you for things.