A Secret of Happiness (A small story)
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Sharon was a lovely, rich and expensively dressed lady. She felt she was empty and worthless throughout her life. After her husband died, it had no meaning. In the big house, she became alone. All her cars, her house, her expensive furniture, her French perfume, her Persian carpet, her imported piano were useless items. She decided to do something about it after a long reflection. So the lady went to visit a psychiatrist to cure her depression and to get long-lasting happiness.
The psychiatrist listened to Sharon for 30 minutes, and then called an old lady who was cleaning the floor. The psychiatrist said to Sharon, ” She’s my maid, Mary. I’ll ask her how she found happiness.
A Secret of Happiness
So the maid, Mary, put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story “Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed in a car accident. I had nobody. I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of committing suicide.
Then one evening, a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt pity for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to allow the kitten inside. I gave it some milk, and the kitten licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg. For the first time, in months, I smiled and felt happy.
Then I thought that if helping a little kitten could make me smile, doing something for people could make me happier. So the next day, I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy when I saw them happy. Today, I believe I’m the happiest person. I did not see a person who is as happy as I am. I have found this great happiness in helping others.”
After listening to Mary, the rich lady, Sharon, got relaxation. Sharon understood the secret of happiness. She understood that happiness in life is existed in helping others, giving others, caring others and making them happy. If you help others, you get happiness. Your bliss depends on how happy others can be, because of you.
Then and there, she decided to be happy. She expressed her gratitude to the psychiatrist and Mary. She went her home to start a new life.
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Expensive (adjective) = costly .
Expensively (adverb) = in a way that costs a lot of money.
Worthless (adjective) = valueless.
Pass away (phrasal verb) = die.
Long lasting (adjective) = permanent.
Depression (noun) = a medical condition in which a person feels very sad.
Purr (verb) = make a low continuous sound.
Then and there (Idiom) = immediately.
Bliss (noun) = great happiness .
Gratitude (noun) = The feeling of being thankful.
Lick (verb) = to move your tongue over the surface of something to eat it, make it wet or clean it.
