On Happiness

If you, like me, have nothing much to do, then you too would have gone through the list of posts on your blog and found that you have 26 draft posts yet to be published. And, like me, you would choose one that was most relevant to this day and age.

This one is on happiness, with extracts from God knows where (it was centuries ago!).

From western culture point of view:

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.

5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7. Believe in love at first sight.

8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. Please, no name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

How do you say that effectively in Malay?

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

Say "yarhamukAllah/yarhamukIllah".

16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

21. Spend some time alone.