When someone asks me what the secret to happiness is I always give the same answer: You have to find out for yourself.

Because I believe that what really matters is the process of finding it.

So you could say that the secret of happiness reveals itself to the one who pursues it - in an most individual way.

To someone it may be fame and fortune (although we are just witnessing on current examples that this doesn’t seem to work out). To others it’s success in their jobs, improving their relationships/family-life or simply improving themselves on a personal level.

What is the secret of happiness to you?

Let me tell you a little story.

It’s from the great book The Alchemist and it illustrates perfectly what is important when you pursue your happiness. Please take 2 minutes to read it, it’s really worth it:

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, through, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,” said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil.

“As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.”

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

“Well”, asked the wise man, “did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,” said the wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.”

Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls, He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said the wisest of wise men.

“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”

The shepherd said nothing. He had understood the story the old king had told him. A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep.

Isn’t this beautiful and poetic?

The biggest advantage of allegories is that a fundamental truth or law is wrapped by a lovely and memorable story. A technique that’s been used for thousands of years successfully.

The trick here is to find YOUR personal drops of oil and a way not to spill them, while enjoying all the beauties that surround you.

This can be a livelong journey, but it’s worth it.

What is your personal interpretation of happiness? Feel free to share it in the comments section below.

Your friend,

Eddie Corbano