Keys to happiness: Perspective is what makes a life worth living

As annoying as some of the forwards that inundate our email inboxes are, there are some gems that put everything into perspective and have to be shared. They come as little reminders.

This one is about how having the right perspective can make a huge difference in the way we view our lives. We can choose to see the glass half empty or the glass half full. We can choose to be happy or not. Happiness is not predicated on how much we have, but on how much we appreciate what we have.

I remember working on a project in Nicaragua as an on-camera spokesperson for an international charitable organization. We filmed at various locations including the local garbage dump in Managua. People lived on site and made their meager living collecting scrap metal etc. that fetched a few córdoba. And even though these people were living in abject poverty, in makeshift shacks in the middle of a filthy landfill, they were happy with what little they had.

Appreciate what you have, even if it's not much, because it could be more than you imagine.

One day , the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip , the father asked his son , "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad.."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah , " said the son.

"So , tell me , what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four."

"We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end."

"We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.."

"Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon."

"We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight."

"We have servants who serve us, but they serve others."

"We buy our food , but they grow theirs.."

"We have walls around our property to protect us , they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless..

Then his son added , "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Author Unknown