Nice to be nice, isn’t it?


A few are gifted with the art of being happy. They can be cheerful no matter how sad things around are. Beautiful within, little does one need an external kick to burst with joy. Happiness quotient determines such luck ones’ course of life.
This is what I felt reading a story in an American tabloid about this fattish, average looking girl chosen as the ‘best model’ at a fashion show. Amid many size-zero dazzling damsels, judges zeroed in on her, thanks to her innocence and cheerfulness. Her smile was more genuine and natural than better looking lasses, the judges opined. Later on, she modeled for an international body-care brand. The model succeeded in making women believe that the secret of her beauty was in her happiness.
However, not always such happy people are smiling and goody-goody. What I feel special about my friend, who is easy-going but brutally honest and surprisingly straightforward. She makes no bones about talking out the shortcomings of people in professional, personal and also in close relationships. She is a little too outspoken and ruthlessly catches people on the wrong foot I feel at times. Intriguingly, she is a sought-after person and many who were ‘victims’ of her criticism turn to her seeking her opinions.
Once I asked her how she manages to be so cordial in spite of being straightforward.  “I sound harsh but am honest and that’s why people turn to me for opinions. I might argue with each and every person but trust me I’ve no enemies. People will come to be because basically I am a nice person.”
I can never forget her answer. To me, she is a living example of staying happy forever and sharing positive space with everyone without letting others’ waywardness affect her. After all, her happiness helped many ‘weird’ people turn ‘normal’.
Nicety within helps us tackle ugliness in things as well as people. While many crib about garbage, these happy people rear beautiful gardens. Most of the people cry hoarse over difficulties whereas jovial folks have no complaints as they wade their ways to through hurdles. Some youngsters are haggard and morose in their primes while some oldies cherish youthful exuberance.
What’s striking about these calm and composed people is they are happy by nature. They neither crave for happiness nor crib over adversities. Weird ways of others fail to rattle them even one bit. They create their own beautiful worlds no matter how ugly things outside.
We can try it with ourselves. Take traffic for instance and learn to enjoy conditions instead of losing cool. Treat crossing the road as a game and you will easily sail through. I’ve tried this myself and it works.
The inner beauty of the blessed lot encourages us explore soft corners within. Everyday, on way to office, I observe a nicely painted apartment in a rickety building. With climbers in the terrace, it’s the only nice part in the four-storied structure. This person has made his part of the world beautiful, I tell myself everyday when I see it. As I’ve noticed it, there must be some nice corner in me too.
One has to have a happiness quotient within for it to surface. Who says happy people shouldn’t lose cool? However, their earnestness and maturity to rise above difficulties set them apart.
-KanChan 

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