From Glad to Sad to Mad

I’ve always believed that being happy is as easy & natural as breathing. It has been that way for me for as long as I can remember. No matter what, I always find a reason to smile. In fact I’m so used to being happy all the time that an occasional moment of sorrow seems like an unbearable burden… But I’m really glad that such moments are occasional!

I’ve been expecting one such gloomy moment since the past few days yet it happened when I least expected it. I barely managed to contain the leaks. But what makes these tears special is the reason behind them. More often than not I’ve seen people crying about their own misfortune, about how they didn’t get what they wanted so badly. There’s nothing wrong about loving yourself. But when you see someone crying about someone else or praying for that other person, a feeling of awe is evoked in you. Suddenly the helplessness and pain seem worth it.

Everything has its own beauty, isn’t it? But do you see beauty when an invisible emotional burden weighs you down? The negative emotion grows over time until there’s nothing else left. I wonder why the same doesn’t apply to joy. If you’re just a little happy, you’re just a little happy, nothing more, nothing less… It takes so much more for one to feel delirious or ecstatic. But have you ever felt that you were just a little sad? It starts small but then grows and consumes the person if not kept under check.

I have this theory that all the positive emotions are like solids. They always take up the same space and for them to grow, you need to add more solid blocks. On the other hand, the negative emotions are like gases. You give them a little space and they take up everything they can lay their hands on.

Strange analogy, isn’t it? My experience today makes me want to believe that this theory might be true. In the beginning, I was sad about one little thing but then I realized after some time that I was pining about something else too. This went on until I felt miserable about how sad my life had become… But the magic of happiness struck again! I was happy to be my usual happy self again. Thanks to all the wonderful people who give me more reasons to smile. J