Diwali is here. With all it’s pomp and show. With all it’s lights and finery. The entire market is going crazy. New Diwali special advertisements are flooding the market. The latest trend is, each ad has a message. This Diwali, make your loved ones smile. This Diwali, throw the best party. This Diwali, celebrate with your elderly parents. This Diwali, help the less privileged.
All this is very thoughtful and sentimental. But maybe, we should first look at our own self then go out for others. So many people today, are broken. Everyone has their share of problems and festivals bring out the extra stress. Yes, today, people are stressed out by the concept of being happy on festivals. It’s added pressure the tasks of performing pooja, throwing parties, gifting, smiling all around when all you feel like doing is sit in some corner and cry. Most of the people who work, are stretched to their breaking points by their superiors, who in turn, are being driven by others. Come Diwali, and you have to stretch yourself even more. These adverts then, put more strain on the already stretched livelihoods.
People are broken today, due to various reasons. Work stress, loneliness, stress at home, or any unpleasant incidences like harassment, blackmail among others. What we need to do first is heal ourselves. Repair the broken soul, or at least try to repair it. Recognize our own unhappiness and realize that it is important. When we are happy and whole, only then can we make others happy. Find out where our true happiness lies, unbarred and unabashed happiness.
Understand that being sad and stressed is not a normal thing, and should not be accepted. That being happy is the only base emotion, everything else is transient.While some amount of holiday stress is obvious, the stress should not be so much so that it kills all reason to be happy.
I know for a fact that there is always that one thing, which makes us forget all the crap life is throwing at us. It could be your kids, your parents, your dog or something else.Find out that one thing. And redeem yourself. Diwali should not be spent fake-smiling, Diwali should be spent real-laughing. Diwali should be spent welcoming Goddess Lakshmi into a happy house, not welcoming your “friends” who couldn’t care less about you and who max out the free booze. Diwali should be spent gifting your loved ones your time and emotions, not expensive jewelry and other things.
This Diwali, find your own happiness. This Diwali, throw away the old, stressed out you, and bring back the carefree and happy you. This Diwali stop trying so hard to match societal expectations and do what feels right to you. This Diwali, fill your own hearts with joy, and the world will be taken care of. This Diwali, give your own self a gift, the gift of happiness. And stay happy, not just this season but all the time. Not for any reason but for the gift of life. This Diwali, do your part to help your own self, because happiness is not an option, it is a necessity.