On a certain occasion, during an elegant welcoming reception, for the new director of marketing of an important London company, some of the wives of the other directors, who wanted to get acquainted with the new spouse, asked her with some hesitation : "Does your spouse make you happy, truly happy?

The husband, who at the moment was not at her side, but was sufficiently near to, hear the question, paid attention to the conversation, sitting up slightly, feeling secure, even filling his chest lightly in pride, knowing that his spouse would answer affirmatively, since she had always been there for him during their marriage.

Nevertheless, to his and others surprise, she replied simply, "No, no, he doesn't make me happy.........."
The room became uncomfortably silent, as if everyone were listening to the spouse's response. The husband was petrified. He couldn't believe that his wife was saying, especially at such an important occasion for him.

To amazement of her husband and everyone, she simply placed enigmatically on her head an elegant black silk scarf and continued: "No, he doesn't make me happy... I am happy! The fact that I am happy or not, doesn't depend on him, but on me. I am the only person upon whom my happiness depends. I make the choice to be happy in each situation and in each moment of my life. If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this Earth, I would be in serious trouble! Everything that exists in this life, changes continually - humans, wealth, my body, the climate, pleasures etc. I could enumerate an infinite list. 
Over my life I have learned a couple of things:

• I decide to be happy and the rest is only a matter of "Experience or Circumstance", like helping, understanding, accepting, listening, consoling... And with my spouse, I have lived and practiced this many times!
• Happiness will always be found in forgiveness and loving yourself and others.
  
• It is not the responsibility of my spouse to make me happy. He also has his own 'experiences or circumstances'. I love him and he loves me, often in spite of his circumstances and of mine.
  
• He changes, I change, the environment changes! These can be big or little, but they always happen. We must face them with the love that exists in each one of us. If the two of us love and forgive each other, the changes will only be 'Experiences and Circumstances' that enrich us and give us strengths; Otherwise we would only be 'Living together'.
• For some, divorce is the only solution (in reality, it is the easiest!). To truly love is difficult - It is to forgive unconditionally, to live, to take the experiences or circumstances as they are, face them together and truly be happy with conviction!
• There are those who say: "I can't be happy because I am sick, because I have no money, because it's too cold, because they insulted me, because someone stopped loving me, because someone didn't appreciate me!!! But you don't know that, you can be happy even though you are sick, whether it is too hot, whether you have money or not, whether someone has insulted you, or hasn't valued you.

Being Happy is an attitude and something each one of us must decide on!
Being Happy, depends on you.
BE HAPPY!

A teacher teaching Math to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Within a few seconds, Laiq replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. Maybe the child did not listen properly, she thought. She repeated, "Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Laiq had seen the disappointment on his teachers face. He calculated again on his fingers.But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. 

This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four!"

The disappointment stayed on the teachers face. She remembered that Laiq liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn’t like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry,then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq calculated on his fingers again.There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed.

With a hesitating smile young Laiq enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"

Promptly Laiq answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How Laiq, how?" She demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Laiq replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don’t think they are wrong. There may be an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion.

There once was a happy monkey wandering the jungle, eating delicious fruits when hungry, and resting when tired. One day he came upon a house, where he saw a bowl of the most beautiful apples. He took one in each hand and ran back into the forest. He sniffed the apples and smelled nothing. He tried to eat them, but hurt his teeth. They were made of wood, but they were beautiful, and when the other monkeys saw them, he held onto them even tighter.

He admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistened red in the sun, and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them, that he didn't even notice his hunger at first. A fruit tree reminded him of his hunger, but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldn't bear to set them down to reach for the fruit. In fact, he couldn't relax, either, if he was to defend his apples. A proud, but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest trails!

The apples became heavier, and the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired, hungry, and he couldn't climb trees or collect fruit with his hands full. What if he just let go?

Letting go of such valuable things seemed crazy, but what else could he do? He was so tired. Seeing the next fruit tree, and smelling it's fruit was enough. He dropped the wooden apples and reached up for his meal. He was happy again.

Like that little monkey, we sometimes carry things that seem too valuable to let go. A man carries an image of himself as "productive" - carries it like a shiny wooden apple. Even his worries are sacred apples - they prove he's 'doing everything he can'. He holds onto them compulsively! But in reality, his incessant activity and worry leaves him tired, and hungry for a better life. Even then, letting go seems crazy.
Let Go!

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. In fact, it's my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.  Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day - measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all.

It was a bridge .. A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched..

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. 
"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have many more bridges to build."