School of Happiness

"Formal schools have taught too much unhappiness", that's the conclusion of many friends in the West in particular. When it is traced and deeply studied, this conclusion is not very wrong. Especially since there is too much school logic that contains a collection of logic of "if then".

Elementary school children thought they will be happy when they graduated from elementary school. Once they graduated from elementary school, they thought that they would be happy after graduating from junior high school. After graduating from junior high school again they think that they will be happy in high school graduation. This mass disease of unhappiness is brought into adulthood and old age. That's why, many adults think happiness will come when children grow up. After the elderly, many parents think that the happiness will visit them when the children are independent.

In summary, there are so many people who constantly "delay" their happiness. As a result, life revolves in an unending circle of unhappiness. The results are predictable, tired bodies, angry thoughts, anxious souls. Many highly educated friends complain of not being able to sleep. The United States, with the highest number of Doctorate per capita in the world, are also the highest consumption of sleeping pills per capita in the world.

At this point, we must rethink the way we live. Old habits that continually delay happiness are not only unhealthy, but also make many souls unsaved. Inviting schools to change soon, it's far from easy. Especially in developing countries where educational institutions are complicated by a lot of different interests.

For that reason, we can start the change in the family. Particularly in small families containing father, mother and children. It is time to learn to make the family a "school of happiness". Working on school tasks and home office assignments are of course not prohibited. But it is necessary to balance the age that has been heated up by various violence’s and abuses, with families that are containing many trees of happiness.

In this connection, it is important to teach children that happiness is not something to be pursued. Happiness is something that is kept already inside. To put it more precisely, happiness is not the fruit of the events. Happiness is the result of how we make conclusion to the events. Once a person sees from the beautiful side, then everyday contains a beautiful smile.

In order to make the family ready to be a school of happiness, encourage children to eat their favorite ice cream slowly. Remind them like this: "Son, the best ice cream taste is the ice cream of this moment". Problems that annoy people whose bodies are tired, whose mind are full of anger, whose soul are restless, they always think that the best ice cream in the ice cream of the future.

An in-depth study of dependence - from dependence on drugs, alcohol, to sex - all have the same pattern. People always think the best beer is the next beer. The earlier the children understand the better, that the best ice cream is “the ice cream of the present". Especially to make them not enter into the unending circle of unhappiness.

Deeper than that, invite the children to see there are always beautiful sides behind the problem. The beautiful side of failed in exam, the children know the shortcomings that must be fixed. The beautiful side of an angry daddy, the children know that the angry human face turns so unattractive. The beautiful side of hard mother, the children know that the one who forces too much in life will grow old faster.

Above all, train children to diligently share a smile. Life is like sweeping the floor. Tomorrow morning the floor is dirty again but keep sweeping the floor while sharing a smile. A biologist from Japan called Kazuo Murakami said, a smile is the most important switch inside that can change human genetics.

Occasionally invite children to tell stories. Suppose daddy, mama and kids get lost in outer space. Lonely in the dark. Then we will understand, walking here on earth, breathe fresh air, enjoy the cool mountain air, enjoying a warm beach, that's a series of heavenly experiences that we can enjoy here while we are on earth.

Author: Guruji Gede Prama.
Photo : gohappiness.org
Proofread By: Kirsty Spence.