Khusi Bana!

I see graffiti in many places in Kathmandu, a face half-shadowed, half-lit, smiling and beneath it, two simple words, खुसी बन — Be happy.

This graffiti triggered some questions and thoughts. It sounded less like advice and more like an order. And I wondered—why do we need to be told (or instructed) to be happy? Isn't happiness the life motto? We are always seeking happiness, but the fundamental question remains unanswered: how to be happy?

There are thousands of prescriptions for happiness. Many preach shortcuts to be happy. There are thousands of books written on how to be happy. And 'be happy' is probably the easiest suggestion we often receive. We all want to be happy. But the recipe remained a mystery.

I know, and you know that happiness means different things to different people. We tend to associate it with 'things'. If I get this, then I will be happy. If that, then I will be happy. It sounds like we have outsourced our happiness. I searched about happiness and it appears that it is, academically, well researched topic. Many conclude that being happy is internal. We often assume happiness is the natural state of being human. If everything goes right, we will arrive at happiness like a destination. But life does not work like that. Even in comfort, the mind wanders toward dissatisfaction. Even in success, it invents new anxieties. Happiness is not the absence of problems; it is the way we process them. I think happiness is not automatic; we construct it. We make ourselves happy, a little with the outer environment, more within ourselves.

The picture on the wall makes perfect sense. When it says, 'be happy', it is not asking you to feel happy; it is telling you to practice happiness.

Be Happy!

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