Happiness: Young and Dejected? Here's Some Cheer  

By M.P.K. Kutty  

Happiness: Young and Dejected? Here's Some Cheer  

Life today is becoming increasingly more competitive. This is also reflected in the educational system, where admission to select courses has become almost impossible.

Quest for a happy life

At this time of the year, university campuses are normally buzzing with activity. There is excitement and tension in the air. The human quest for power, prestige and wealth is visible in the student-aspirants. The courses that offer the best career opportunities are most sought after. For, a good career means a comfortable life.

Career counsellors on the campuses guide and help young students to make the right choice, taking into account their aptitudes and inclinations. Despite the counselling, most students prefer to opt for only those courses and subjects which hold the promise of a bright future. Their ultimate goal is the 'good life'.

There are others, who, for various reasons, do not seek to study further. Many choose to enter their parents' vocation. This is the trend in families engaged in trading, business, crafts, cultivation and increasingly, in politics. But there is something that is common to both categories of seekers: They have dreams - of a happy future.

Disillusionment and disappointments

However, there's a catch. Not all student-aspirants will get the course of their choice. There are bound to be disappointments since the demand for seats is much more than the availability. But setbacks and lamentations are not the preserve of disappointed students. Some of those who get to realise their ambitions are equally disillusioned. We cry over what we lose - often, we also cry over what we gain.

Two little tear drops were floating down the river of life. One teardrop asked of the other: "Who are you?" It answered: "I was shed by a girl who loved a man and lost him. And who are you?" Replied the first teardrop: "Well, I was shed by the girl who got him".

Fate

King Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, wrote an account of his experiences and his efforts to find satisfaction and fulfilment in his life. He records: "I undertook great projects; I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them...I bought male and female slaves...I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself...I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me". Yet, in the end, when he surveyed all his possessions and achievements, he concluded that they represented nothing more than his vanity.

King Solomon then made a deliberate effort to acquire wisdom. However, he soon discovered that although wisdom is desirable, the same fate overtakes the wise man and the fool. He realised that everyone shares a common destiny. He then looked for meaning in the happenings and strivings of men "under the sun and found that even those few wise men who searched for the meaning of existence - while claiming to have understood - did not comprehend it truly".

King Solomon also found that the swiftest man did not always win the race; the strongest man did not always win the battle; and wealth did not necessarily accrue to men of wisdom. It was all largely a matter of chance. Success or good fortune does not always go to those who deserve it.

So if you are a disappointed student who failed to get admitted to the course of your choice, don't be disheartened. You might not realise your dreams of becoming a doctor or an engineer, but that doesn't mean that you are unfit for any other profession or vocation. Whatever your field of work, take interest in it. Work diligently to the best of your ability. Take pride in your work.

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More from same author see: M.P.K. Kutty  

See also: Happiness, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)