The №1 Key to Happiness
seeker of truth
follow no path
all paths lead where
truth is here
- e. e. cummings
Ever since I read these lines in my English Literature class at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, they went on to become the motto of my life.
If you read more of e. e. cummings’ poetry, you will realise that his poems represent simple life truths in simple forms.
cummings, an American poet, was revolutionary in his writing style. He refused to deploy any artifice in the language…
At a time when metre, rhythm, and complexity were the underlying criteria for “good” poetry, he did away with punctuation and any clear structure.
cummings became so known by this style of poetry that his name was almost always written in lower case too.
In cummings’ rebellion against form, he created his own style.
He let his poems become the meaning, in and of themselves. More importantly, he put the onus on the reader…
You can read the poems non-stop, give it your own rhythm, punctuate it where you think necessary, and interpret it the way you like.
You don’t need to look up dictionaries, or read up history to understand the allusions…because there aren’t any!
You simply have to respond to the poem the way you feel best.
Language can be like that — simple and easy to use and interpret…
Life can be like that too… If we choose not to complicate it, and put too many full-stops or commas.
I can already hear you say — cummings had creative license, not all of us do… we’re not poets!
But ask yourself honestly — Do you not have creative license over your life?
Can you not change its form, if and when you want to?
I firmly believe you can!
That’s why this poem, with four lines, resonates with me so much.
Every time I get let down by life, people or situations, I realise I don’t have to look far for happiness, meaning, change or direction…
It’s all within me to change the nature of an experience.
Happiness is not “out there”, in some remote Utopian land, devoid of hardships and conflict, it is “right here”.
Because, the “truth” is — no matter where you go and what you do to seek truth, happiness, or anything else — it all lies within you.
These may seem like esoteric lines. But when you absorb their truth, you can change your perception of the most daunting obstacle in your life…
They can help you look inward, find solutions, and change your life path.
When you realise that the key to happiness lies within you, you realise you need to go nowhere to seek it…
All you need to do is look within — for contentment, purpose, peace and love!
Moreover, there is no one out there who can take you closer to the truth.
That’s what philosophers from across the world will tell you… That’s what even gurus from India keep teaching.
The biggest truth is for you to believe in yourself… In your powers and strengths, your abilities and dreams, your purpose and mission.
When you become aware of yourself and your potentialities, you become aware of the universe and its great potentialities.
When you have no need for artifice or decoration, when you keep it straight and simple…
When you delete all the complications, or punctuations from your life, you create a smooth and meaningful existence.
And, there will be no path to follow, because…
You yourself are the path, the journey, and the destination.
When such a truth dawns on you, you will not seek anymore… Just being here and now will be enough — the ultimate “truth” for you!
The article was first published on Common Sense Living, a digital publication with new-age lifestyle and wealth-building ideas.
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