Why am I writing About Happiness

Let’s face it, I am not miss sunshine with the rose tented spectacles anymore… “anymore” !
And I am not fine with that. I am trying to change. If that means I used to be positive, optimistic and hopeful . Yes many years ago.

The” happy people” I think we should really literally “study” and learn from are … children.
When I was a child my interests were mainly music and anything that has to do with colors.
I will put painting and colors aside though my interest was kind of obsession, I recall spending hours jotting lines and testing, mixing and pouring colors or even watching very calmly other kids in class drawing and looking up to them with great admiration.

Back to music, I was 6 years old, may be slightly younger. Our next door neighbors got their kids an electric keyboard, that was a big deal in the early 80s was more popular and affordable than a piano.
My parents noticed that I was spending more time at the neighbor’s place and the kids could hardly play with their own instrument because I was playing all the time. Don’t know if that was my strategy to convince my parents to buy me one and put an end to the little kids misery

It turned out just the way I wanted it only that the electric keyboard I got was very basic and not expensive. That was a reflection of how my parents saw it ; a “toy” that I would play with, disassemble to million smashable pieces and lose interest in whatever remains.
I loved the basic keyboard and I felt yes that’s what I wanted, and that’s mine. I have the right to play and the responsibility to do something good with it. Ie. play well. Although there was no one to teach me or no one to learn from … again for my parents it was a toy.

I started to listen carefully to the sound of each key and train myself to memorize how they sounded so I can play the songs in my head. (the little head back then could hold few songs ranging from Happy birthday to frero Jacko ) but it worked. I could play !
A lot of kids learned music and various things that way.

Kids pursue what they want, ask for it with resilience and don’t take no for an answer. They set goals (play an instrument) and find out ways to achieve the goals (even if it’s trial and error).
They are not discouraged by others assumptions and they don’t anticipate failure. And even when they don’t succeed or discover that’s not what they wanted they go for another thing. They are flexible and they know how to cope with their abilities almost without or with very brief temporary frustration.
It’s way easier to motivate them compared to adults.

They are optimistic and hopeful. They see the world a very big and exciting place even when they are grounded they know there are a lot to look forward to out there.
They feel safe and secure when they know they are being looked after and we disregard all that and forget that we are the same beings. Allah was watching over us when we were kids and we are still watched over and looked after we only have to believe it.
Difficult things happen to make us better people. If not now … eventually !

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