From the Inspire21 archive, collected since 2000. Original author often unknown. About our story labels
Once a group of 500 people were attending a seminar. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity. He started giving each person a balloon. Each person was then asked to write their name on it using a marker pen. Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.
The people were then let into that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written on it within 5 minutes. Everyone was frantically searching for their name, colliding with each other, pushing around others and there was utter chaos.
At the end of 5 minutes no one could find their own balloon. Then, the speaker asked each person to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.
The speaker then began, “This is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is.
Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness. And this is the purpose of human life…the pursuit of happiness.”
Author unknown
From inspire21.com/balloon-of-happiness/
Did this story lift you up?
Share it with someone
Up next
The Big Rocks and the Jar: A Lesson in Making Priorities
A science teacher fills a jar with rocks, gravel, sand and water to show his class why the most important things in life must always come first.
