About This Book

This book is written after seeing numerous people

who have much more than what is needed to be content,

yet they complain, and seeing those who have very little,

yet they are happy and grateful.

This book contains quotes from the people who have

had an impact on my life, in addition to sayings of Western

and Eastern thinkers and philosophers.

This book is the culmination of numerous late night

bonding sessions, intense conversations, long hours of

discussions on life, karma, what the future holds for us

and organized thought and research.

This book offers a practical approach not only in

dealing with, but overcoming the various hardships we face

in our day-to-day lives with a positive attitude.

This book says to you in short: “Be happy. Be at

peace. Life is too short to be anything, but, Happy. Don’t

worry about tomorrow—God has already been there.

Author’s Note

I dedicate this book to everyone in search for happiness.

It could not have been completed without “All praise to

God” and a HUGE thanks to my family and friends who

have always stood by me and helped me to reach my true

happiness. I hope this short guide will help you achieve

happiness, reinforce your faith in the Almighty and believe

God’s plans are better than your dreams. Keep me in your

prayers…

Wishing you eternal happiness,

Fizza Schon Husain

Table of Contents

Everyone wants to be Happy

What is the biggest fear for every

individual?

Why do we forget to live in the

present, in fear of the future?

Faith

Faith in God

Life as we know it

Count your Blessings

True Happiness

Forms of Happiness

Change is not always bad

Quotes & Sayings

Each one of us, regardless of our size, weight, nationality and

origin, has a purpose in life. Some of us may know what our

purpose may be, while others may not, but it is certain that all

of us have one.

Everyone wants to be Happy

Whatever country or society people live in, they all

have the same deep desire: to be or become happy.

Sometimes, we tend to think that the purpose of our

life is to have a good job, a complete family, make a

million dollars, run our own successful business, make

our family proud, travel the world, spread

Islam/Religion, buy a Chanel/Birkin Bag, be famous,

etc, but in reality those are just the goals to being

happy, not the purposes of our lives. Think about any

of the above—why do you want a good job? Why do

you want a family? Why do you want to buy a Birkin?

Simply, because it makes you happy. Sometimes,

subconsciously, you may do certain things just to fit

in to society or be more accepted by others but that,

too, if thought about deeply, will lead to your

happiness. For instance, we do many things not

because we actually want to but because we feel we

have to just in order for others to think of us in a

certain manner. Think about it, would you really want

a huge solitaire if you lived alone in a forest? In our

daily lives we are constantly experiencing happiness

and unhappiness, but we still remain ignorant as to

what happiness really is. I spent a long time trying to

figure out what happiness is . When I first thought

about happiness for women in Eastern societies, I

saw it as a matter of becoming financially secure or

getting married to a guy who would provide happiness .

The popular belief in Eastern societies is that

happiness for a woman is to be found in marriage.

However, looking at friends who were married, I

realized that marriage didn't necessarily guarantee

happiness. I saw couples who had been passionately in

love suffering from lack of attraction soon after

their wedding. I saw women who had married men

with money or status, but fought constantly.

Then I thought about happiness for men in the

eastern society, which is based on standing on your

own feet, becoming financially stable and being

looked upon as a successful man and secondarily, on

upholding a good family life, etc. The general view in

the Pakistani society about men is that their

happiness comes from being wealthy. Even though

your wealth does not justify for your character,

there is a misconception that your wealth is

proportionate to your happiness. For example, one

would assume, “Oh! He ’s a billionaire. He has the most

expensive cars; Armani suits, Louis Vuitton

sunglasses and a Rolex watch…what does he have to

be sad about? He must be so happy.”

Truth is only you yourself know best whether you are

feeling joy or struggling with pain. These things are

not known to other people. Even a man who has great

wealth, social recognition and many achievements may

still be shadowed by indescribable suffering deep

within his heart. On the other hand, an elderly man

who is not fortunate financially, leading an unmarried

and simple life, may feel joy and happiness in his

heart every day.

Gradually, I realized that the secret of happiness

lays within us— in building a strong inner self and

faith that no trial or hardship can ruin. I saw that

happiness for anyone - man or woman - does not come

simply from having a formal education , be it a

Harvard degree, or from wealth, be it a Billion Dollar

Lottery or from marriage, be it a perfect marriage

(which only exist in movies of course), it comes from

within ourselves.

When I say happiness comes from within, I mean that

if you are not happy or at peace internally, no matter

how many retail therapies you go for or how many

chocolates you eat or how many people you meet , it

will only give you temporary happiness, which will

soon fade away, bringing you back to your usual

unhappy self. True happiness comes with having the

strength to confront and conquer one's own

weaknesses and fears. Only when we have conquered

our fears, does it become possible to lead a truly

happy life, enjoy a successful marriage, etc .

What is the biggest fear for every individual?

You may think today that your biggest fear is losing

your job, health, wealth, family, social status, etc.

The thought: “Oh my god, if this happens I will die or

if that happens I will faint, etc” may cross your mind,

BUT, what actually is your biggest fear? It is the

future…Fear of the Future . What will happen? Even

for something bad that happens in the present or

happened in the past, we think about the impact of it

and what will happen (Future)…Fear of the Future.

Why do we spend so much time worrying about the

future, when it ’s already been pre-written? With

prayers, certainly, what’s pre-written can be re-

written but why spend so much of our time thinking

about what may potentially happen and in the

process end up ruining what is happening?

Why do we forget to live in the present, in

fear of the future?

The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they

always see the past in a more positive light than it was, the

present in a more negative light than it is, and the future less

resolved than it will be. Sometimes, we are so engrossed

in thinking about the past or the future , that we

forget to live the present. Don’t think about the past, it

brings tears, don’t think more about future, it brings

fears...think about the present because it brings cheers , even

in a situation that seems bad, it is better to live through it

now, than worry about something else that has not even

happened or has happened, because both are not in our control.

Most of us are scared of what may happen tomorrow…Will I

become successful? Will I stay healthy? Will I find a nice

guy/girl? Will I be happy? Will I keep others happy? Amidst

all this fear about our future, we forget to think about the

thing that leads to our happiness…Faith

Faith

All of us naturally tend to place our faith in ourselves, our

parents, husband/wife, siblings, friends, etc. For example, we

think: “no way, my sister would never do that to me,” or “my

friend would never say that about me,” Or “my husband/wife

would never leave me.” Why? Because we trust them, we have

faith in them and we feel love for them. What we forget is,

PEOPLE CHANGE. If we have no guarantee over our own

feelings changing, how can we guarantee that another person

won’t change? Today, you may know or may think you love XYZ,

but what is the guarantee that even tomorrow you will love

XYZ? There is no guarantee for anything in life but certainly,

there is hope. While we are so busy putting our faith in people

and ourselves, etc we forget to put our faith in the one that

will NEVER change … GOD. We keep telling ourselves, this is

what I want because I know this will make me happy NOW. For

example, you may think that you want a particular person but

if you think about it deeply, it’s not a particular person you

want. What you really want is to be happy with this “perfect

for me” person in your mind right now. When you don’t get that

person, you become upset and sad. Why? Because you had

faith in your judgment and thought “I know I’ll be happy with

her/him” What we fail to realize is that if we do not get

him/her, it’s because God has foreseen that the happiness we

deserve is not in this particular relationship. How can we think

we know more than the one who can see everything (GOD)?

Certainly, you have to try your best to achieve your goals

but leave the result on god.

Faith in God

The day you allow yourself to believe in God and his power over

your destiny, your problems will be reduced to zero. BELIEVE

nothing will go wrong because GOD is writing the script of your

life and he only writes masterpieces. A true believer must

always know that only God can help him/her, and in times of

distress we should thus seek God. Why? Because God is the

Creator of this world and He has control over everything, but

we human beings would rather put trust in the creations

rather than the Creator. We spend hours and hours discussing

our problems with our loved ones (which is good and helps to

ease the pain temporarily) and complaining “How could she/he

say this about me?” or “Did you see what he/she did to me?” or

“I was stupid for trusting him/her, why do all bad things

happen to me?” BUT we forget to talk to the one who can, not

only ease the pain, but also solve the problem (GOD).

We should realize that our money, our contacts, our

connections will not solve our problems or avail us (yes they

can help) but only the Creator of the heaven and earth will

solve our problems.

When everything is going well, it is easy for us to believe God

is there. Only when things go wrong, do we start questioning

God. However, those are the times when we have to hold on to

our faith the most. Most people give up right when they are

about to be rewarded. Some people wonder if someone passes

away, how can one justify that and believe it was for a reason.

For example “But he/she was so young, he/she did not even see

anything in life yet, etc” Sometimes we tend to become bitter

upon losing a loved one and question “Why him/her?” Ask

yourself, if you lend your friend your dress, and then later ask

for it back, is it unfair? No right? So if God takes back what

belongs to him, how can we question it?

Faith in God does not mean you sit there waiting for life to

happen to you. You certainly have to try your best to

achieve your goals, but, if after giving something your best

try (actions & prayers), it did not fall through, know it is

god’s plan. Faith in god does not mean everything will go

exactly how you want it to go, it just means that when it does

not go according to how you had planned, you will BELIEVE,

this was God’s plan & it cannot be wrong. Believe that “The will

of God will never take you where God’s grace cannot protect

you,” and “When God takes something from you, he’s not

punishing you, but merely opening your hands to something

better.” You may not see the good in a difficult situation at

the first pinch of pain, but that is the time when you have to

hold on to your faith the most. “If god closes one door, he

opens another but we are so lost staring at the closed door, we

don’t see the one that’s opened for us.”

Do you want to live life sulking over something that’s happened,

something that you can do nothing about? Do you want to

waste today in fear of what may happen tomorrow? Do you

want to question the one who knows what’s best for us more

than we do? Always ask yourself, “If God is with you, then

what do you have to fear? And if God is against you, then what

hope do you have?” Remember, the most beautiful pictures

are developed by negatives in a dark room, so if you see

darkness in your life, BELIEVE that God is making a beautiful

picture for you.

The day you have complete faith that “Nothing can go wrong

with God by my side, even in a difficult situation, BELIEVE,

this is just a part of a bigger and better plan,” is the day you

will find inner peace and overcome your fear, which will in turn

lead to eternal happiness/peace, regardless of whether or not

people change, or things go according to plan.

Life as we know it

Happiness (even with faith in God) does not give you

a life without problems, but rather gives you the

strength to overcome the problems that come your

way. With faith in God, every problem of yours will

be rewarded for . “If you get what you want, be happy

and grateful, if you don’t get what you want, be even

happier because you got what God wanted for you .”

There is no such thing as a problem-free life;

difficulties are unavoidable. But how you experience

and react to your problems is in your control . All you

need to believe is “Gods plans are better than your

dreams” and remember, every test in your life makes you

better or bitter...the only difference is "I”

Count your Blessings

Remember the blessings God has given you, and how they

surround you from above and below, from every direction.

Imagine yourself without the smallest body part and think for

a minute how blessed you are to be healthy. Always look at

those below you when counting your blessings and always look

at those above you when counting your good deeds. If you have

food in your fridge, clothes on your body, a roof over your

head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the

entire world. If you have money in your wallet, a little change

and can go anywhere you want, you are among the top 8% of

the worlds wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more

health than illness, you are more blessed than the million

people who will not survive this week. If you can actually read

this book and understand it, you are more fortunate than the

3 billion people in the world who cannot see, or suffer from

being mental. Which of the blessings of your lord will you

deny? Why is it that when God is giving us everything we want,

we do not question Him, but the second He takes one thing

away, we question Him?

*You can also watch “Should we really be complaining by Fiza Schon Husain”

on www.youtube.com for more information about Being Grateful.

True Happiness

True happiness is to be found within, in the state of

our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some

distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However

much you try, you can never run away from yourself.

And if you are weak, suffering will follow you

wherever you go. You will not find happiness if you

don't challenge your weaknesses and change yourself

from within. Happiness is to be found as you struggle

to overcome one obstacle after another.

Forms of Happiness

Relative Happiness depends on things outside of

ourselves: friends and family, surroundings, the size

of our home or family income is what we feel when a

desire is fulfilled, or something we have longed for is

obtained. While the happiness such things bring us is

certainly real, the fact is that none of it lasts

forever. Times change. Things change. People change.

This kind of happiness shatters easily when external

conditions alter. This kind of happiness is also based

on comparison with others. We may feel this kind of

happiness at having a newer or bigger home than the

neighbors, or our friends. But that feeling turns to

misery the moment they start making new additions

to theirs!

Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is something

we must find within. It means establishing a state of

life in which we are never defeated by trials and

where just being alive is a source of great joy. This

persists no matter what we might be lacking, or what

might happen around us. A deep sense of joy is

something which can only exist in the innermost

reaches of our life, and which cannot be destroyed

by any external forces. It is forever.

Change is not always bad

In everybody’s life, there comes a situation (even if not

directly personal), that makes them grow, or makes them

stronger or wiser. It can be something positive, like

transitioning into being a parent, or something challenging, like

losing a loved one. But believe that everything happens for a

reason. Every experience God gives us, every person he takes

away or puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a

future only he can see. What is important is to learn from

these situations. What happens to us may not completely be in

our control but how we deal with it is in our complete control.

Something good ALWAYS comes out of something that seems

bad. Rather than comparing ourselves with others, we

should compare who we are today with whom we were

yesterday, and who we are today with whom we will

be tomorrow. While this may seem simple and obvious,

true happiness is found in a l ife of constant

advancement. At the same, worries or situations that

could have made us miserable can actually be a source

of growth when we approach them with courage,

wisdom and faith in God. Try your best to get what

you want but if you still do not achieve it, know

that there is something better for you. Remember,

God may not change things for you but he certainly

will change you for things. Problems are unavoidable,

but with a positive attitude and the right amount of

faith, you will be able to find the good in every bad .

Be happy. Be at peace. Life is too short to be anything but

happy. Don’t worry about tomorrow, god has already been

there.

QUOTES & SAYINGS

- Faith in God includes faith in his timings.

- People change, things go wrong , but always

remember LIFE GOES ON.

- Never do something permanently stupid when

you are temporarily upset.

- Value those who love you, while collecting

pebbles; you don’t want to end up losing a

diamond.

- It’s not about finding similarities, it’s about

respecting differences.

- Time heals everything, give time, some time.

- Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants

pain...but you can’t have a rainbow without a

little rain.

- In search for the stars, don’t forget about the

shells in the sea.

- It takes a lot more than love to make a

relationship work.

QUOTES & SAYINGS

- Your wealth does not justify for your

character.

- Are you really sorry? Or Are you just scared of

Karma?

- What’s pre-written, with prayers can be re-

written

- Happiness is a journey, not a destination .

- Everything is ok in the end; if it’s not ok… it’s

not the end.

- Being happy does not mean everything is

perfect, it means you’ve decided to look beyond

the imperfections.

- Life is 10% of what you make of it and 90% how

you take it.

- Best things happen when you least expect them

to.

QUOTES & SAYINGS

- Happy moments, Thank god…Difficult Moments,

Seek god…Quiet Moments…Worship God, Painful

Moments, Trust God…Every Moment, Thank God

- Always remember, you are too blessed to be

stressed.

- You are what you eat.

- The most beautiful pictures are developed by

negatives in a dark room, so If you see

darkness in your life, BELIEVE that god is

making a beautiful picture for you.

- Expecting life to be fair because you are a

good person is like expecting a bull not to hurt

you because you are vegetarian.

- Treat others how you would want to be treated

- God may not change things for you, but he will

surely change you for things.