Life has everything to offer. It is what we make it and the world is but a magnificent stage where everyone has been given a role by a Great Director to portray. These lines have become trite expressions but they are actually paraphrases from a poem and as we go through life and struggle to survive, we often stumble upon lessons and incidents which confirm the wisdom of these particular passages.

Since the world is a stage and we are but actors and actresses, we must act our role with devotion and surrender. Experts say that is one secret to fulfillment and happiness. To compare oneself with others is tantamount to doing injustice to ourselves. Thus, when we are given the character of a poor, we should not be dismayed and bitter for it is only temporal. When we have to act like a king, we should not be blinded by the fleeting fame and power, for they, too, will not last forever. An effective actor is one who realizes that the applause and adulation of the spectators are camouflage for the discerning eyes of an Unseen Critic who judges the way we perform our part.

Personally, the key to happiness is humility. For me, humility is the virtue of all virtues, for humility gives birth to contentment, and contentment, to happiness. A person who neglects humility is like a pinch of salt in a pitcher of a sweetened beverage, or a handful of sand in an empty seashore.

There was an old man who lived in a blighted area. He was very poor. He used to earn a living by selling water cabbage or “kangkong” in a nearby town. He was paid P2 for every bundle. He usually had to sell twenty bundles so he could earn at least P40 twice a week. One Christmas eve, all he wanted was to be able to buy a creamer for his coffee for the Noche Buena because he wanted to celebrate the occasion a little special. He thought of considering the money he had saved for several months. Auspiciously, he found it sufficient to buy one. As he sipped his special coffee with creamer, his face lighted up and his eyes reflected the joy of a child who has just tasted his first lollipop.

Indeed, happiness is relative. There is no universal and standard unit to gauge it. While material wealth and power generally make people happy, professional success, domestic bliss and opportunity to help other people are enough sources of joy and satisfaction to some people. But happiness is simply realizing what we have and what we should be thankful for.