Every day is a festive ‘season’

With the start of the festive season, people are feeling more cheerful and relaxed. They seem to be in a hurry to finish their pending tasks, buy gifts for family and friends and plan how they would celebrate the festival.But one needs to ponder for a moment. Are we supposed to be happy for only a few days in the year or we should be happy all year round?Joy is the inherent nature of life. One should look around and observe nature. Birds and animals frolic around happily, pausing and working as per their needs. Children even from poor families laugh and play most of the time. But adults have forgotten the inherent nature of humanity.Today people have become sad due to life’s challenges. Many of them are unsatisfied, tense and depressed. Few people know that material things do not give true joy. One craves for a car and becomes very happy when he/she finally acquires one. But a few days down the road, the joy fades. That person then starts craving for something else, feels tense while waiting for it and becomes depressed when he/she fails to get it.People in western countries are strong economically, but not all are happy. High prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress related disorders like hypertension, diabetes, among others are testimony to the fact that material things cannot bring true happiness.People globally seem to be getting engulfed in greed for material things. Industrialists are exploiting this greed to make more profits. Once a new gadget, new jewellery or dress is advertised, people rush to buy it.It is this consumerism that has created a big rift in society, dividing people into, “haves”, and, “have nots”, Ironically, none of them are happy.This is not to say that an individual should not make efforts to better his/her life. One should always strive to improve his skills and virtues in an honest way. If the desired results do not come, causes for failure should be analysed and remedied. But this should not become a cause for unhappiness.Every individual needs a positive mindset. The aim of life should not only be procurement for self and family but also helping others in need. While striving for something better, a person should remain happy and satisfied with what he/she already has.After all nobody in this world gets all that is desired. There is always a positive and negative side to every situation. It is better to look at the positive aspect of every situation. It is also very important to share the happiness of others and feel genuine sorrow at any loss.For people with such a positive approach towards life, each day is festive and they truly enjoy each passing day.Dr Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital