The two soldiers talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives,children and  families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military  service, where they had been on vacation.etc. And every afternoon when the  man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would relive in those one hour periods,  his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and  colour of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played and frolicked  on the water while  children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amidst the  flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite  detail, the soldier on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.  Although the other man could not hear the band, he could visualise in his mind as the soldier by the window portrayed it with descriptive  words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should his room mate  have all the pleasure of seeing everything while he never got to see  anything? It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt  ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour,bitter and angry. He  began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that  window – and this only thought now controlled and preyed on his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window  began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man  watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the bell button to call for help. Listening from across the room, the other man  never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the doctor or the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking  stopped, alongwith the sound of breathing.Now, there was only silence—a deathly eerie silence. The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring waterand towels  for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the soldier by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital staff to take the man  away–no  words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked the nurse if he  could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him the room.

Slowly and  painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his  first look in six months out the window. He thought-finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.It faced a blank and dirty wall…………….

 Moral of the story:

The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice…it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. Our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get it just right, we will never find lasting joy.

It is easy to be negative about past mistakes and unhappiness. But it is much more healing to look at ourselves and our past in the light of experience, acceptance, and growth.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it. Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life. Don’t stand in someone else’s shadow when it’s your sunlight that should lead the way.

 The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like  programmes, awaiting the code that will determine behaviours; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts,  if we shoot down the seemingly  negative thought as these germinate, we will find that there is much to rejoice about….making our pursuit of happiness all the fulfilling,comforting and enduring.

“We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge. People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Forgive & forget. Love one and all.If you judge people, you have no time to love them”…Mother Teresa

MA,DMM,MBA
(Faculty of Management Studies,University of Delhi,India),
Management Education Consultant.
Over 30 years Industry,Education and Training experience

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/the-pursuit-of-happiness-1458142.html

The truth is, low self esteem can be caused by a great number of things. Feelings of jealousy, envy, emotional insecurity, loneliness, guilt, and even self pity can contribute to low self esteem. Symptoms of low self esteem include denial, the inability to express one’s feelings, a heavy dependence on others to feel good about one’s self, blaming others for one’s misfortunes, and not having personal boundaries.

Low self esteem is really about not valuing or having high regard for one’s self. People suffering from low self esteem feel inferior, as though they are not in charge of their lives. They feel victimized, ostracized from society, and unimportant to everyone around them. Because it affects their subconscious, low self esteem is really a deep-seated phenomenon that has its origins in one’s formative years as a child, and is often not an easy problem to fix.

People suffering from self pity tend to be manipulative, using their belief of low self worth to get what they want out of other people. They become almost like parasites, clinging onto the good will of others and becoming dependent on them just to get through their lives. Obviously this would breed negativity in any sort of relationship. Similarly, jealousy can also cause negativity when used as a tool of manipulation.

Some might consider the heavy dependence on others a disease, but in all actuality, it is not by definition a disease. It is a condition affecting the emotional and behavioural aspects of a person that is developed over time and learned, and it affects one’s ability of having healthy relationships or any relationships to speak of. Symptoms of this condition include guilt when expressing honest thoughts, giving more than one receives, and suffering from emotional hurt easily when one’s effort is not seen as significant or even recognised.

The factors contributing to emotional insecurity include a lack of a healthy balance between work and family and one’s self, the fear of intimacy with loved ones, and needing some form of validation in life through drama.

Overcoming these symptoms of low self esteem is crucial if you are aiming to live a healthy, well-adjusted life as an adult. If you are unsure of what to do to improve your relationships with those around you and your feelings of insecurity and self worth, always seek help, from loved ones or even a healthcare professional. The number one mistake people tend to make is believing that they can overcome this problem alone. Low self esteem is a condition that is affecting millions around the world every single day, and recognising the symptoms will definitely go a long way in preventing and overcoming the condition.

Click Here to grab your FREE “Unleashing Your Inner Confidence In 5 Easy Steps” Report. Achieve success in life with these proven and tested techniques to allow yourself to be more confident in anything you do.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/overcoming-the-major-causes-of-low-self-esteem-1419214.html