If only I could be 1/10th of what he was and had a hundredth of courage to do the things he did. Though I was spellbound with his antics, the book also taught me several other things about life.
The First Step
Throughout the book, Atticus never gives in to his emotions, likewise I recommended it to you several times not to succumb to your emotions. It is the first step to happiness and it's true.
The Second Step
Controlling your emotions opens up millions of new frontiers on the way you see and perceive things. You get time to react better and as you keep doing it consistently, you'll inevitably start to take things in positive spirits. This is the second step to happiness. That's the simplest truth and the simplest way you can improve your life.
The Third Step
What's the point in getting irritated, angry, frustrated, impatient and stressed when you know that neither do they solve your problems nor do they make you happy. In fact, they strain your relationships, aggravate your body's risk to lifestyle diseases, make you old faster and most of all, keep you troubled for ages.
Once you start controlling your emotions, try to get into the other person's shoes, try to feel how they perceive life for a moment. In case, they are troubled, ask yourself how you can help them and what would make them free from their troubles. If you do that, you get tremendous respect and you are now a step closer to happiness, the third step to happiness.
The Ultimate Step
Let's get back to controlling your emotions, the question is how to do that? The answer looks simple but following it would be as tough as walking on nails.
The answer is to not give in to your pleasures. There is a world of difference between pleasures and happiness; pleasures make you; your skin, taste, smell and all those sense organs happy, it's a very peripheral feeling. Happiness on the other hand is peace of your mind, fully free from troubles.
There is one more very important thing that is worthwhile to mention; to do good. That is my friend, the inherent and underlying message for true happiness and that is what Atticus and Harper Lee will tell you in that book. It is certainly, the ultimate step for happiness.
Even if you succeed in just the first 2 steps, your life will be in positive spirits and you will never ever criticize something, blame someone or have a troubled mind. You will find peace at your life's doorstep and that is the best guarantee I can give you with this post.
What do you think?
Do you agree with me? Pardon me if you haven't read the book, but I have drawn out comparisons and I think I got my point across to you easily. Do you think I missed something in here? Or do you have your own idea of happiness? Let me know, I want more views on this and I'd be glad to respond too.
Bookmark, Share and Print
Please share it if you think it would help others too.
Free E-Mail/RSS Subscription
Join 100+ Other Smart Readers and Get Free Updates to your Inbox!