HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

It is said that there was a robber who lived in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. It is from the rocky cliffs and dark forest on the slopes of the mountains that the robber looks for his prey. The robber targeted the passing tourists and took their money or killed him if they refused to give him what the robber asked for.

Once upon a time a rich merchant walked up the path in the forest near the robber's nest. The robber jumped from behind the rock while brandishing his sword. "Your money or your life?" he shouted in a cruel and terrifying voice.
No doubt the rich merchant fell to the ground trembling with fear. "Don't kill me. Please don't kill me," he shouted in sad.

The robber threatened again. "Here, take my money. Please take everything," said the merchant resignedly, feeling his wallet.

"Your bag too," said the robber.

"Yes, of course. Just take my bag. But please let me live," said the rich merchant pitifully.

"Go!" ordered the robber while kicking the rich merchant's butt and ordered him to return to the street immediately.

It seems too easy to rob someone like that merchant. But that doesn't mean everyone is easy to rob.
Once while the robber was waiting, there passed a traveler in a robe who had just come down from the mountain. As usual, the robber jumped to ambush him. He shouted,
"Down on the ground! Your money or your life!"

But unlike his other victims, this time the traveler did not throw himself to the ground. Instead, he threw down his robe to show that he was a soldier. "I will kill you before I give my money," said the soldier, drawing his sword.

"We'll see," replied the robber, leaping forward.

A fight was inevitable. The two people's swords clanged as they pushed and parried each other. Their clashing swords ricocheted off the canyon walls causing a boisterous sound.

The soldier was brave. But compared to the robber who is very skilled, it seems that he is less skilled at using weapons. So the soldier was killed and the robber immediately took the money, sword and robe of the soldier that. Then he hid the soldier's body because he didn't want his troops to find him.

Day after day, month after month, and year after year passed. The robber was still continuing his life by robbing or killing his victims one by one.

Until one day a wise man walked along the path on the slopes of the mountains. The robber thought twice if he wanted to rob the wise man because he knew the person who was going to be robbed was a saint. But because the area was already known as the robber's nest, he put aside his fear and assumed that everyone could become his prey.
When the sage approached, the robber jumped from his hiding place with the sword in his throat and forced the wise man down.
"Give all your money!" snapped the robber.

"I have no money," said the wise man.

"I've heard that kind of answer before," said the robber, to his victim.

When he found out that the old man was indeed penniless, the robber said, "Because you have no money, I will take you hostage and your friends will make up for it.

"I will not let them pay the ransom," said the wise man.
go ahead, then I will kill you, "cried the robber, pressing the tip of the sword against the wise man's throat.

But instead of trembling with fear, the wise man laughed instead
"You think death is a funny thing ?!" cried the robber.

"No ... said the wise man." The funny thing is that you think you can get what you want with a sword.

"I can indeed ... said the robber." I can control your life at this time. "

"Yes, you did ..." said the wise man.

"But you can't control my experience.

The robber thought. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You do control my life. If you press the sword on me, then I will die. But you can not control my choice to be happy. You only control my life. At this time I choose to be happy. Will you kill me or keep me alive. , it is all your choice. What is clear is my choice is how happy I feel at this time.

The robber was stunned to hear the victim's words which pierced his heart. For a moment the two men stood silently. Suddenly the robber dropped his sword. With open arms, he helped the wise man to his feet
"Nobody has ever spoken to me like that before," said the robber. It never occurred to you that there were other ways to find happiness or personal power than by controlling people or events
"I want to be your student," he said.

Since then the robber chose a new path. He began to want to control his life experience from within himself and not from outside himself.