Ubuntu (Lesson from Africa Tribe about Happiness)
We all know the ultimate in life is Happiness. No matter what we do, good or bad, we just want to feel good. The world is large, distinct people with different mindset and colors. I am driving towards 30 so I am still a young man, but I have learned so many life lessons. I am that person who loves to stay alone when I want to be creative but stay with people when I want to play. I don’t have friends that are my age peers. Most of my friends are people that are older than I am or people that I am very much older than.
Some months ago, I picked 5 of my friends that are young and I asked them one question.
What is happiness to you?
The five of them said almost the same thing- "Happiness is when you are rich and have everything you desire”.
So, it seems they are right. But richness means different things for us. I watched an interview on late Bob Marley. In this interview, someone asked him if "he is a rich man". He replied by asking "what he meant by being rich"? The guy mentioned possession and money, and he(Bob) said "his richness is life, forever”.
If happiness is just about being rich and having everything in life, then over 70% of the world population should be unhappy.
I want to share a story about an anthropologist who traveled down to a remote village in South Africa to study culture and habits.
He has been in the village for quite a while and when he would have to move back to his country; he thought of making a competitive gift for the children within the environment. He gathered delicious fruits in a basket and wrap up with ribbon. He placed the basket under a tree and gathered the children in the village to compete for the challenge to win the fruit.
He drew a starting point and told the children to stay on the line and he told them that anyone that get there first is the winner. They agreed and stood on the line, then when he said “Go”, they held themselves and ran at the same pace. They got there together and enjoy the fruit together.
The Anthropologist was marveled, and said, why did you all run together. One person could have won this and enjoy it alone. A girl among the children replied him, “How can one of us be happy when others are sad”?
The lesson here is: We can be happy collectively. No one needs to be sad for us to be happy.
After some years, late Desmond Tutu of South Africa talked about the story of the Anthropologist and the girl and interpreted the girl’s reply as Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are”
According to Desmond Tutu, “We believe that a person is a person through other persons.”
We all have our definition of life. We have different goals and aims, but our ultimate goal should be for our community. Happiness spring more when the faces of the surrounding people are full of laughter. How humanity should be in belonging and sharing with people. Making your neighbor happy won’t make it sad.
Get happiness from sharing.
#posh
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