The Happiest Man on Earth is a profound and moving memoir that recounts Eddie Jaku’s experiences as a Holocaust survivor and his journey to finding happiness. Jaku, who survived the horrors of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, shares his incredible story of resilience, hope, and the power of positivity.

Jaku reflects on the immense suffering he endured during World War II, but more importantly, he emphasizes the lessons he learned about the value of education, family, and friendship. The book is filled with moments that highlight the strength of the human spirit and the importance of gratitude.

Despite the unimaginable challenges he faced, Jaku chose to live his life with a positive outlook. He believed that happiness is a choice and that by focusing on the good, we can overcome even the darkest of times. His story is a testament to the enduring power of hope and the impact of a positive mindset.

This book is an inspiring read for teenagers, offering valuable life lessons on resilience, compassion, and finding joy in everyday moments. Eddie Jaku’s wisdom and optimism serve as a powerful reminder that even in the face of adversity, we can choose happiness.

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Have you ever done something thrilling, and sometimes dangerous, like riding on a roller coaster or bungee jumping? You feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins. It’s exhilarating and exciting. You feel adventurous. Similarly, it’s exciting to participate in a competitive sport. Drinking, substance abuse, binge-eating, sex, gambling and other pleasure-seeking activities all release a hormone-like chemical in your body called dopamine.

The right amount of dopamine is good for one’s body as one feels pleasure. One is alert, focused, enthusiastic and motivated to succeed. A person lacking in dopamine and other feel-good chemicals could suffer from depression and anxiety.

The problem of dopamine, however, is that one craves the “dopamine reward”. But the effect of dopamine is temporary; it wears off after a while and results in addiction. We should be careful not to equate temporary, selfish pleasure with happiness. A dopamine detox is a long, lonely and painful procedure.

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Mornings are the most special time of the day. For me, mornings are about a lot of diverse sounds that merge together to liven us up. The sound of a steaming cup of tea/coffee, pages of a newspaper being turned (for the ones who are still old school), chirping of birds, alarm clocks ringing endlessly on snooze, school buses honking at the gate, children and adults rushing to their destinations and many more.

How you wake up every morning sets the tone for the entire day ahead. So it is very important that you do it the best way you can. There is no one way or right way of waking up. However, I have experimented with a few things that have worked for me and I would love to share the same with you. For the longest time I thought that I wasn’t a “morning person”. Yet, over the years, I have realized that there is no such thing as being a “morning person” (or not). It is all about setting the tone and changing a few habits that in turn change our lives positively.

1. Make Your Bed

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” These simple words were shared by retired U.S. Admiral William H. McRaven while addressing a class of graduating students at the University of Texas. When you first read it, you might wonder how this small act can really help you change the world. But as you take up this simple task every morning, you will see the difference. You will feel like you accomplished a task at the very beginning of the day and also feel a small sense of pride for completing something. This will build a positive mindset for the rest of the day as you take on more complex tasks on your calendar.

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In the current scenario of constant comparison, competition, stress and the fear of missing out, we often find it difficult to be happy. This World Happiness Day (20 March), let’s embark on a journey of more happiness and joy every day.

Happiness can be described as a sense of well-being, joy or contentment. Here are five ways that can help you be happier:

1. Miracle list

Create a list of all the things that you are grateful for. Taking the time to appreciate what you have in your life can help shift your focus away from what you lack and increase feelings of happiness. Try keeping a gratitude journal in which you write down the things you’re grateful for each day.

2. Sports

Regular physical activity has been shown to boost mood, improve sleep and increase happiness. Taking up a sport such as football, tennis, swimming, or even something as simple as taking a walk, can lead to greater happiness.

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Religious scriptures speak about happiness sought after by everybody. Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, spoke about the different ways one can be happy: Being detached from material things, and selflessly working for peace, justice, serving the poor and the suffering, being some of them. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “If you are only a taker of happiness you get misery. If you are a giver of happiness, you get joy and love.” The irony about happiness is that the person who wants nothing will possess everything and vice versa. So the cause of unhappiness in our life lies in the craving in one’s heart for things outside of oneself because happiness is an inside job.

Most people chase happiness just like a puppy trying to catch its own tail, believing that happiness lies in catching it. You do not realize that happiness is not found somewhere up in the sky but it is to be sought and found in your heart. It fills your heart drop by drop when you engage yourself in your duties with a sincere and selfless heart, seeking peace among other people and working for their welfare. People like Mother Teresa, Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and scores of others have traced for us the way to true happiness which nobody can take away from you unless you banish it from your life with your selfishness, anxieties and worries.

“There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path,” aptly quipped Shri Buddha. The goal of every spirituality is to help you attain such happiness which nobody can take away from you. Therefore, in the quest for happiness, discover it within yourself through self-awareness and meditation. Be happy now whatever the circumstance may be and resolve to remain happy. So every day, make a resolution: “Today, I am just going to be happy, come what may. I will not let anything selfish disturb my inner peace and happiness. I am going to be contented, happy.”

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Diwali or Deepawali gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that symbolizes light over darkness. This festival is celebrated in India with much fervour and delight all throughout. It marks the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Also known as the Festival of Lights, it celebrates Lord Ram’s victory over Ravana and his triumphant return home. The streets leading to his home were lit with lamps, and ever since, Diwali has been celebrated. Diwali also marks the Hindu New Year and is considered to be an auspicious time to start something new. Deities are worshipped on this day to invoke their blessings of prosperity and good fortune on the household.

The preparations for the celebrations begin weeks in advance, when people clean their homes to prepare for the Diwali rituals. The festival is said to bring wealth, prosperity and happiness. Homes are beautifully decorated with flowers, rangolis and lights.

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You might wonder, “Why define something like happiness? Isn’t it all right to just feel, savour and relish it?” We all have felt happy at some point or hopefully many points in our lives — happiness is a sense of joy, pleasure, well-being, satisfaction, and maybe at times, indulgence. You feel happy when an old friend calls you to catch up, you’re pleased when you ace an examination, you’re overjoyed when you’re thrown a surprise birthday party, you feel good after a workout, you’re satisfied after eating at your favourite restaurant, and you’re ecstatic about indulging in chocolate ice cream while watching a funny movie on the weekend. All of this “makes you feel good” and becomes your definition as well as a recipe for happiness — to do all the things you like.

But have you noticed that this does not last for as long as you may have hoped or expected? Happiness is all of the above pleasures, but it is more than them, too. Imagine grabbing all these fleeting emotions and packing them into a foundation stone that you root deeply in your being such that it is not “short-lived” anymore. That would be the perfect formula for happiness — a deeper sense of meaning and purpose that stays with you so that you’ll never feel low, sad, lost or empty again.

Real and long-lasting happiness comes from doing things that are meaningful and give you a sense of purpose. Things that might seem difficult, but they demand your best and make you feel worthwhile because of the afterglow of satisfaction they arouse in you. That is why being called to every classmate’s birthday party is not as rewarding in the long term as helping a friend in need and bringing a smile to their face knowing that you can be a true friend indeed. Happiness is different from the experience of pleasure on the surface

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Nestled in-between the eastern ridges of the Himalayas in the central-south, Bhutan is a beautiful country and is also ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, attracting tourists from far and wide to experience its tranquil and serene beauty. This beautiful Buddhist kingdom is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and plains, magnificent mountains and steep valleys.

Bhutan is a small kingdom neighbouring India with a 786,500 population. It is also known as Druk-yul or Druk Tsendhen, meaning “land of the thunder dragon”, because of the frequent thunderbolts experienced here. However, it is a place of mountains and lakes, pilgrimages, artistic skills, adventure and tourism.

Bhutan does not believe in GDP as an indicator of economic growth and development, using instead a measurement known as Gross National Happiness. It has made this blessed kingdom a country of happy people on the global map. Bhutanese people have four pillars for the measure of GNH —sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, good governance and a healthy environment — that makes it one of the happiest countries in the world.

People

There are three major ethnic groups in Bhutan: the Bhutia (also called Ngalop), the Nepalese and the Sharchop. The Bhutia is the largest ethnic group and they constitute about half of the population. The Bhutia are dominant in northern, central and western Bhutan. They speak a variety of Tibeto-Burman languages, and the most common of these, Dzongkha, is Bhutan’s official language; the written language is identical with Tibetan. The Bhutias dominate Bhutan’s political life. The Nepalese (including members of the Gurung ethnic group) predominate in the region and constitute roughly one-third of the country’s total population. These are the most recent arrivals in Bhutan. Most speak Nepali.

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Have you ever wondered why some days your body is physically, mentally and emotionally drained, and you experience exhaustion, feel low, drained and unhappy?

This should make you wonder, ‘What is it that make us happy?’ Most of the time we co-relate happiness with a particular situation or memory or person. But in reality, happiness is a giant “Chemical Reaction”!

Hormones play a major role in creating the feeling of happiness in us. Hormones are chemicals produced by various glands in the human body whose primary function is to communicate between two glands or between a gland and an organ. They are controlled by a complex system of glands that secrete different hormones — the endocrine system.

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