人生即苦，活在这个世上，烦恼就会接踵而至，不快乐的人很多。于是，如何使自己快乐成了一个被广为谈及的话题。

有人将烦恼埋藏心底，独享宁静与孤独；也有人置身午夜喧嚣，掩盖空虚与寂寞。可是结果呢，有人成了哲学家，有人成了非理性的追随者，也有人庸庸碌碌，奔走在这个世间，或是深陷于这个扑朔迷离、灯红酒绿的世界。

怎样做个快乐达人，我不知道，因为我自己就有很多烦恼。但刚看了朋友发过来的一篇文章，若有所悟，所以把它翻译过来，放在这里，希望能给大家一些启示。

智慧老人

他是位92岁，身材不高但神采奕奕、穿着讲究的老人。今天，他将搬进养老院，因为他那70岁的老伴于不久前过世，因此，他不得不离开自己的家。

在养老院大厅等了几个小时后，我告诉他房间已经准备好了，他脸上露出了微笑。于是，拄着拐杖，蹒跚着走到了电梯前。我向他描述他那狭窄的房间，以及悬挂的床单即所谓的窗帘。

“我很喜欢。”他说到，脸上露出了天真的笑容，就像一个8岁的小孩刚得到了一只小狗一样。

“先生，可是你还没到房间呢！不过咱们马上就到了。”“这没关系，”他回答道，“快乐是我自己预先选择的。不管房间装潢如何---我都会欣然接受。”“我已经确定自己一定会喜欢这个房间。这也正是我每天早上醒来时必做一件事。”

“这是我自己的选择。我可以整天躺在床上，细数自己身上的毛病，有多少器官不再好使。我也可以起身感谢上帝，我还有这么多的器官运行良好。

每一天都是神的恩赐。只要我能睁开双眼，我就能集中于新的一天，回忆从前积累的美好时光。

人的年龄就如同银行帐户。年龄大了就开始提取自己这一路存起来的东西。

因此，我要建议你尽可能地往自己的记忆帐户中存入更多的快乐。

谢谢你往我的记忆帐户中存入的快乐回忆，我会继续……

记住下面几条简单的规则，它可以给你带来快乐：

Free your heart from hate 不要有恨

Free your mind from worry. 不要忧虑

Live simple 简单生活

Give more 乐于奉献

Expect less 少些企盼

原文：

The wise old man

     A man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home today. His wife of 70 recently died and his obliged to leave his home.

     After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiled as he is told that his room is ready. As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.

     “I like it very much,” he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8 years old boy who has just been given a new puppy.

     “Sir, you haven’t even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there.” “That has nothing to do with it,” he replies.  “Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture or the dector—rather it depends on how I decide to see it.” “It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up.”

     “I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order.”

“Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life.”

     “Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way.”

“So, my advice to you is to deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories.”

Thank you fro your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill…

      Remembering these simple guidelines for happiness: 

1.       Free your heart from hate

2.     Free your mind from worry.

3.     Live simple

4.     Give more

5.     Expect less