Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there’s always something you can do,” said Stephen Hawking, the 76-year old astrophysicist, who defied motor neuron disease and died recently. Reflecting on UN’s “share happiness” theme to celebrate “International Day of Happiness”, today, Hawking’s words are worth reflecting upon.

Hawking’s relentless search for the “Ultimate” is amazing. Each one of us constantly strives for some “Ultimate”— not necessarily some Absolute or God, but anything that makes life meaningful. A baby might desire to be cuddled by mom, an actress might yearn for a box-office hit, someone on death-bed might long to prolong his life, and a seeker might pray for a darshan of God. Each of these is, in a way, an Ultimate that keeps one looking up and moving on. Accomplishing such goals is good; but life offers much more.

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet” comes from someone who was strapped to a chair, face contorted, limbs debilitated, yet dared look up beyond the stars to galaxies and black holes. The wonders of “beyond” were then expressed with down-to-earth images understandable even to those unschooled in the pure sciences. Had Hawking looked down at his feet, he’d have cursed God for inflicting upon him so dreaded a disease. He didn’t.

“Make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist,” can inspire us to look within and look around with gladness and gratitude at all that exists. Do you realise how precious you are and how much you have? Count your innumerable blessings and be happy, be grateful. Many people lack even the basic necessities of life and yet are happy and grateful.

“Be curious” is a catchword of the greatest inventors and seekers. Ever restless with questions — Who? When? Where? Why? How? — they inevitably evolve ingenious possibilities for living and loving. Genuine seekers never rest content with their own happiness but do little things to make this world a happier place — especially for the unhappy victims of poverty, evil and violence.

“There’s always something you can do,” even if you find life difficult, here-and-now. Your little difficulty is but a speck of dust in the immense landscape of life laid out by a Great God — that Aadi-and-Anaadi — who created you to be happy. So, look in the mirror. Smile. Whisper the pledge proposed by the UN for this International Day of Happiness: “I will try to create more happiness in the world around me.”

Don’t worry, be happy!