Salam to all.

I was reading La Tahzan (Don't be Sad) on the way to dental appointment just now. One thing I learnt from my reading was the art of happiness.

It is said that happiness is like art or science, it has to be learned. Some people were born to such saddening conditions like growing up without a mother or perhaps the atrocities of war. Yet, it is these very people who see happiness in every single thing that they do. When I went for the overseas CIP trip to Ban Buang Muang school in Khao Lak, the kids were exposed to terrible living conditions where their welfare was least concerned. They had posters on protecting themselves from HIV/AIDS and the dangers of smoking. Some of them were already smoking at the tender age of 10 years old. However, you could see the delight on their faces when you give them a balloon or markers to play with. For a moment, they didn't look like kids who suffer in an almost civilised society.

On the other hand, there still exists a handful who are deemed pessimists and are proud to admit that they are one. When asked how they think they would fair in their O level results, their answers would always sound the same, "I don't think I can make it." Indeed, there is a fine line between over-confidence and being optimistic but the latter would never make others around him feel down. Instead of saying what a typical pessimist would, an optimist would rather say "Insya Allah, I will do well cause I've done my best and it's up to Allah to decide."

Anyway, this is just a random thing I decided to blog about cause I feel that you should always be happy and thankful with what we already have. Don't try and lie to me by saying that you are not a perfectionist when you complain about every single thing on earth.


Just so you know, you will learn the art of happiness when the time comes. And you'll end up looking like me.