Want to be happy? Be grateful | David Steindl-Rast

Translator: Nelson Simfukwe Reviewer: Joachim Mangilima

There is something you know about me,

Kuna kitu

unafahamu kuhusu mimi,kitu cha binafsi sana,

something very personal,

na kitu nafahamu kuhusu

and there is something I know about every one of you

kila mmoja wenu

and that's very central to your concerns.

na hicho ndiyo kitu kikuu kwa dhumuni lenu.

There is something that we know

Kuna kitu tunajua

about everyone we meet anywhere in the world, on the street,

kuhusu kila mtu tunayekutana nae duniani,

mtaani,

that is the very mainspring of whatever they do

hicho ndiyo kiini

cha kila tunachofanya

and whatever they put up with.

na chochote tunachokuwa pamoja nacho,

And that is that all of us want to be happy.

ni kwamba wote

tunataka kuwa na furaha.

In this, we are all together.

Katika hili,tupo pamoja.

How we imagine our happiness, that differs from one another,

Tunavyofikiria furaha yetu.

inatofautiana kati ya mtu mmoja na mwingine,

but it's already a lot that we have all in common,

lakini ni vitu tulivyonavyo kwa pamoja,

that we want to be happy.

tunataka kuwa na furaha.

Now my topic is gratefulness.

Sasa,mada yangu ni kuhusu kushukuru.

What is the connection between happiness and gratefulness?

Kuna uhusiano gani kati ya

furaha na kushukuru?

Many people would say, well, that's very easy.

Watu wengi watasema,sawa,hiyo ni rahisi sana.

When you are happy, you are grateful.

Ukiwa na furaha,basi unashukuru.

But think again.

Lakini tazama tena.

Is it really the happy people that are grateful?

Ni kweli kwamba watu wenye furaha wana shukrani?

Sote tunafahamu namba kiasi ya watu

We all know quite a number of people

who have everything that it would take to be happy,

ambao wana kila kitu cha kuwafanya wawe na furaha,

and they are not happy,

lakini hawa furaha,

because they want something else or they want more of the same.

kwa sababu wanataka kitu kingine

au wanataka kilekile lakini kwa mara nyingine.

And we all know people who have lots of misfortune,

Na tunafahamu watu

ambao ni fukara sana,

misfortune that we ourselves would not want to have,

ufukara ambao sisi hatutaki kuwa nao,

and they are deeply happy.

lakini wamejawa na furaha mno.

They radiate happiness. You are surprised.

Wanamiminika furaha.Unashangaa.

Why? Because they are grateful.

Kwanini?kwa sababu wanajua kushukuru.

So it is not happiness that makes us grateful.

Kwa hiyo si furaha inayotufanya tuwe na shukrani.

It's gratefulness that makes us happy.

Ni shukrani inayotufanya tuwe na furaha.

If you think it's happiness that makes you grateful,

Kama unafikiri ni furaha inayotufanya tushukuru,

think again.

tazama tena.

It's gratefulness that makes you happy.

Ni shukrani inayokufanya uwe na furaha.

Now, we can ask,

Sasa,tunaweza kuuliza,

what do we really mean by gratefulness?

nini maana ya shukrani?

And how does it work?

na inafanya kazi vipi?

I appeal to your own experience.

Nitarufaa katika uzoefu wako.

We all know from experience how it goes.

Wote tunajua kutoka katika uzoefu inakuaje.

We experience something that's valuable to us.

Tunapata hali fulani

ambayo ina thamani kwetu.

Something is given to us that's valuable to us.

Tunapata kitu chenye thamani.

And it's really given.

na kweli tunapata.

These two things have to come together.

Vitu hivi viwili vinatakiwa kuja pamoja.

It has to be something valuable, and it's a real gift.

Inatakiwa kuwa na thamani,

na ni zawadi halisi.

You haven't bought it. You haven't earned it.

Hujainunua.Hujaitolea jasho.

You haven't traded it in. You haven't worked for it.

Hujaifanyia biashara.Hujaifanyia kazi.

It's just given to you.

Umepewa tu.

And when these two things come together,

na hivi vitu viwili vinapokuja pamoja,

something that's really valuable to me and I realize it's freely given,

kile kilicho na thamani kwangu

nagundua nimepewa bure,

then gratefulness spontaneously rises in my heart,

halafu shukrani muda huohuo

inaamshwa katika moyo wangu,

happiness spontaneously rises in my heart.

furaha muda huohuo pia inaamshwa katika moyo wangu.

That's how gratefulness happens.

Hivyo ndivyo shukrani inavyotokea.

Now the key to all this

Sasa,ufunguo wa haya yote ni kwamba

is that we cannot only experience this once in a while.

hatuwezi kukutana na hali hii mara moja.

We cannot only have grateful experiences.

Hatuwezi kuwa na mazoea ya kushukuru tu.

We can be people who live gratefully.

Tunaweza kuwa watu tunaoishi kwa shukrani.

Grateful living, that is the thing.

Kuishi ukiwa na shukrani,hicho ndo cha maana.

And how can we live gratefully?

Ni vipi tunaweza ishi tukiwa na shukrani?

By experiencing, by becoming aware

Kwa mazoea,kwa kujua

that every moment is a given moment, as we say.

kila wakati ni wakati tuliopewa,kama tusemavyo.

It's a gift. You haven't earned it.

Ni zawadi.Hujautolea jasho.

You haven't brought it about in any way.

Hujauleta kwa njia yoyote ile.

You have no way of assuring

Hauna njia ya kuhakikisha kwamba kutakuwa

that there will be another moment given to you,

na wakati mwingine kwa ajili yako,

and yet, that's the most valuable thing that can ever be given to us,

na bado,hicho ni kitu muhimu sana

ambacho tunaweza pewa,

this moment, with all the opportunity that it contains.

wakati huu,na nafasi zote ulizonazo.

If we didn't have this present moment,

Kama tusingekuwa na wakati huu,

we wouldn't have any opportunity to do anything

tusingekuwa na nafasi ya kufanya lolote

or experience anything,

au kuzoea chochote,

and this moment is a gift.

na wakati huu ni zawadi.

It's a given moment, as we say.

Ni wakati tuliopewa,kama tusemavyo.

Now, we say the gift within this gift is really the opportunity.

Sasa,tunasema zawadi ndani ya zawadi

ni nafasi halisi.

What you are really grateful for is the opportunity,

Unachoshukuru kwa hili ni nafasi,

not the thing that is given to you,

na sio kile ulichopewa,

because if that thing were somewhere else

kwa sababu kama hicho kitu kingekuwa sehemu nyingine

and you didn't have the opportunity to enjoy it,

na hukuwa na nafasi ya kukifaidi,

to do something with it,

kufanya chochote nacho,

you wouldn't be grateful for it.

usingeshukuru.

Opportunity is the gift within every gift,

Nafasi ni zawadi katika kila zawadi,

and we have this saying, opportunity knocks only once.

na tunao huu msemo,

nafasi huja mara moja tu.

Well, think again.

Sawa,fikiria tena.

Every moment is a new gift, over and over again,

Kila wakati ni zawadi mpya,tena na tena,

and if you miss the opportunity of this moment,

na kama utakosa nafasi ya wakati huu,

another moment is given to us, and another moment.

wakati mwingine utakuja,na tena mwingine utakuja.

We can avail ourselves of this opportunity,

Tunaweza pata nafasi tena

or we can miss it,

au kukosa,

and if we avail ourselves of the opportunity,

na kama tutaipata nafasi,

it is the key to happiness.

ni ufunguo wa furaha.

Behold the master key to our happiness

Tunayo funguo kuu ya furaha yetu

in our own hands.

katika mikono yetu.

Moment by moment, we can be grateful for this gift.

wakati kwa wakati,

tunaweza kuwa na shukrani kwa zawadi hii.

Does that mean

Ina maana kwamba

that we can be grateful for everything?

tuwe na shukrani kwa kila kitu?

Certainly not.

Si hivyo.

We cannot be grateful for violence, for war,

Hatuwezi kuwa na shukrani kwa vurugu,vita,

for oppression, for exploitation.

kugandamizwa,kunyonywa na kuonewa.

On the personal level, we cannot be grateful

Katika hali ya utu,hatuwezi kuwa na shukrani

for the loss of a friend, for unfaithfulness,

kwa kupoteza marafiki,kwa kudanganywa,

for bereavement.

kwa kufiwa.

But I didn't say we can be grateful for everything.

Lakini sikusema tuwe na shukrani kwa kila kitu.

I said we can be grateful in every given moment

Nimesema tuwe na shukrani kwa kila nyakati tunayopewa

kwa nafasi,

for the opportunity,

and even when we are confronted with something that is terribly difficult,

na hata tunapopingwa

katika kitu ambacho ni kigumu sana,

we can rise to this occasion

tunaweza ibuka katika hili

and respond to the opportunity that is given to us.

na kuitikia nafasi tunayopewa.

It isn't as bad as it might seem.

Sio mbaya kama inavyoonekana.

Actually, when you look at it and experience it,

Kiukweli,unapoiangalia na kuizoea,

you find that most of the time,

unakuta muda mwingi,tunachopewa

what is given to us is the opportunity to enjoy,

ni nafasi ya kustarehe,

na tunaikosa kwa sababu

and we only miss it because we are rushing through life

tunaharakisha maisha

and we are not stopping to see the opportunity.

na hatuachi kuona nafasi.

But once in a while,

Lakini wakati huo,

something very difficult is given to us,

tunapewa kitu kigumu,

and when this difficult thing occurs to us,

na hiki kitu kigumu kinapokuja,

it's a challenge to rise to that opportunity,

ni changamoto katika kuifanikisha ile nafasi,

and we can rise to it by learning something

na tunaweza fanikiwa kwa kujifunza kitu

ambacho wakati mwingine kinaumiza.

which is sometimes painful.

Learning patience, for instance.

kujifunza uvumilivu,mfano.

We have been told that the road to peace

Tunaambiwa kwamba njia ya amani

is not a sprint, but is more like a marathon.

sio ya harakaharaka,

lakini ni ya kukimbia kama marathon.

That takes patience. That's difficult.

Inahitaji uvumilivu.Hiyo ni ngumu.

It may be to stand up for your opinion, to stand up for your conviction.

Inaweza kuwa kusimama kwa maoni yako,

kusimama kwa ajili ya ushawishi wako.

That's an opportunity that is given to us.

Hiyo ni nafasi tunayopewa.

To learn, to suffer, to stand up,

Kujifunza,kuumia,kusimama,

all these opportunities are given to us,

nafasi hizi zote tunapewa,

but they are opportunities,

lakini ni nafasi,

and those who avail themselves of those opportunities

na wote wanaozitumia

nafasi hizo

are the ones that we admire.

ndiyo tunaowathamini.

They make something out of life.

Wanafanya kitu katika maisha.

And those who fail get another opportunity.

Na wale wanaofeli wanapata nafasi nyingine.

Siku zote tunapata nafasi nyingine.

We always get another opportunity.

That's the wonderful richness of life.

Huo ndo uzuri wa maisha.

So how can we find a method that will harness this?

Kwa hiyo ni jinsi gani tunatafuta namna

katika kuendelea na kukuza hili?

How can each one of us find a method for living gratefully,

Jinsi gani kila mmoja wetu atatafuta njia

ya kuishi kwa shukrani,

not just once in a while being grateful,

sio mara moja tu kuwa na shukrani,

but moment by moment to be grateful.

lakini wakati hadi wakati.

How can we do it? It's a very simple method.

Tunaweza kufanyaje?

Ni rahisi sana.

It's so simple that it's actually what we were told as children

Ni rahisi sana,kama tulivyoambiwa wakati

tukiwa watoto tulijifunza kukatiza mitaani.

when we learned to cross the street.

Stop.

Simama.Angalia.Nenda.

Look.

Go.

That's all.

Hivyo tu.

Lakini ni mara ngapi tunasimama?

But how often do we stop?

We rush through life. We don't stop.

Tunaharakisha katika maisha.Hatuachi.

We miss the opportunity because we don't stop.

Tunakosa nafasi kwa sababu hatuachi.

We have to stop.

Tunatakiwa kuacha.Tunatakiwa kunyamaza.

We have to get quiet.

And we have to build stop signs into our lives.

Na tunatakiwa kutengeneza alama za tahadhari

katika maisha yetu.

When I was in Africa some years ago and then came back,

Nilipokuwa Afrika miaka michache iliyopita

nikarudi tena,

I noticed water.

Niligundua maji.

In Africa where I was, I didn't have drinkable water.

Nilipokuwa Afrika,sikuwa na maji ya kunywa.

Every time I turned on the faucet, I was overwhelmed.

Muda wote nilipofungua bomba,

Nilifarijika.

Every time I clicked on the light, I was so grateful.

Muda wote nilipowasha taa,

Nilishukuru.Nilifurahishwa sana.

It made me so happy.

But after a while, this wears off.

Lakini baada ya muda,vyote vilipotea.

So I put little stickers on the light switch

Kwa hiyo nikaweka stika ndogo katika sehemu ya kuwashia taa

and on the water faucet,

na katika bomba la maji,

and every time I turned it on, water.

na kila wakati nikifungua,maji.

So leave it up to your own imagination.

Kwa hiyo achilia katika fikra zako.

You can find whatever works best for you,

Unaweza tafuta chochote kilicho bora kwako,

but you need stop signs in your life.

lakini unahitaji alama za tahadhari katika maisha yako.

And when you stop,

Na unaposimama.

then the next thing is to look.

kinachofata ni kuangalia.

You look. You open your eyes.

Unaangalia.Unafungua machi yako.

You open your ears. You open your nose.

Unafungua masikio.Unafungua pua.

You open all your senses

Unafungua milango yote ya fahamu

for this wonderful richness that is given to us.

kwa huu utajiri mzuri tuliopewa.

Hauna mwisho,

There is no end to it, and that is what life is all about,

na hivyo maisha yalivyo,

to enjoy, to enjoy what is given to us.

kufurahia,kufurahi kile tulichopewa.

And then we can also open our hearts,

Na baada ya hapo tunaweza fungua mioyo yetu,

our hearts for the opportunities,

kwa ajili ya nafasi,

for the opportunities also to help others,

kwa nafasi ya kutusaidia,

to make others happy,

kuwafanya wengine wawe na furaha,kwa sababu hamna kinachotufanya tuwe na furaha sana

because nothing makes us more happy than when all of us are happy.

kama wote tukiwa na furaha.

And when we open our hearts to the opportunities,

Na wakati tunafungua mioyo kwa ajili ya nafasi tupewazo,

the opportunities invite us to do something,

nafasi zinatualika kufanya kitu fulani,

and that is the third.

na ni cha tatu.

Stop, look, and then go, and really do something.

Simama,angalia,halafu nenda,na fanya kitu kweli.

And what we can do

Na tunachoweza kufanya ni

is whatever life offers to you in that present moment.

chochote ambacho maisha yamekupa kwa wakati huo.

Mostly it's the opportunity to enjoy,

Mara nyingi ni nafasi ya kufurahi,

but sometimes it's something more difficult.

lakini wakati mwingine ni kitu kigumu.

But whatever it is, if we take this opportunity,

Lakini vyovyote ilivyo,kama tutaichukua nafasi hii,

we go with it, we are creative, those are the creative people.

tukaenda nayo,sisi ni wabunifu,

hao ni watu wabunifu,

And that little stop, look, go,

na hiyo simama,angalia,nenda,

is such a potent seed

ni mbegu bora sana

that it can revolutionize our world.

inayoweza badilisha dunia.

Because we are at the present moment

Kwa sababu tunahitaji,tupo katika kipindi cha sasa

in the middle of a change of consciousness,

katikati ya mabadiliko ya dhamira,

and you will be surprised if you --

na utashangaa kama uki

Siku zote nahamaki ninaposikia ni mara ngapi

I am always surprised when I hear how many times

this word "gratefulness" and "gratitude" comes up.

hili neno"shukrani" na "kushukuru" yanapokuja.

Everywhere you find it,

Kila unapoyakuta,

a grateful airline, a restaurant gratefulness,

ndege ya kushukuru,mgahawa wa shukrani,

a café gratefulness, a wine that is gratefulness.

Mvinyo wenye shukrani.

Yes, I have even come across a toilet paper

Ndiyo,nimewahi ona karatasi ya chooni

whose brand is called "Thank You."

alama yake ya biashara inaitwa Nashukuru((Vicheko)

(Laughter)

There is a wave of gratefulness

Kuna wimbi la shukrani kwa sababu

because people are becoming aware how important this is

watu wanaanza kugundua ni muhimu kiasi gani

and how this can change our world.

na jinsi gani itabadili dunia.

It can change our world in immensely important ways,

Inaweza badili dunia yetu

na katika njia muhimu sana,

because if you're grateful, you're not fearful,

kwa sababu kama una shukrani,hauna uoga,

and if you're not fearful, you're not violent.

na kama hauna uoga,hauna vurugu.

If you're grateful, you act out of a sense of enough

Kama una shukrani,unaenenda katika hali ya kutosha

and not of a sense of scarcity,

na sio katika hali ya upungufu,

and you are willing to share.

haupo tayari kugawana.

If you are grateful,

Kama una shukrani,unafurahia

you are enjoying the differences between people,

tofauti kati ya watu,

na heshima yako kwa kila mtu,

and you are respectful to everybody,

and that changes this power pyramid under which we live.

na hiyo inabadili piramidi la nguvu

ambalo tunaishi sasa.

Na haileti usawa,

And it doesn't make for equality, but it makes for equal respect,

lakini inaleta heshima sawa,

and that is the important thing.

na hicho ni kitu muhimu.

The future of the world will be a network,

Dunia ya baadaye itakuwa mtandao,

not a pyramid turned upside down.

sio piramidi,ambalo limegeuzwa juu chini

The revolution of which I am speaking is a nonviolent revolution,

Mabadiliko ninayoongelea

sio mabadiliko ya vurugu,

na mabadiliko sana

and it's so revolutionary that it even revolutionizes

ambayo yanabadilisha

the very concept of a revolution,

maana halisi ya mapinduzi,

because the normal revolution

kwa sababu mapinduzi ya kawaida ni yale

is one where the power pyramid is turned upside down

ambayo piramidi linageuzwa juu chini

and those who were on the bottom are now on the top

na wale walio chini wanakuwa juu

and are doing exactly the same thing that the ones before.

na wa juu nao chini

yameahafanyika huko nyuma

What we need is a networking of smaller groups,

Tunachohitaji ni mtandao wa vikundi vidogo,

smaller and smaller groups who know one another,

vikundi vidogo na vidogo vinavyotambuana,

vinavyokutana pamoja,

who interact with one another, and that is a grateful world.

na hiyo ni dunia nzuri sana.

A grateful world is a world of joyful people.

Dunia nzuri yenye watu wenye furaha sana.

Grateful people are joyful people,

Watu wenye shukrani ni watu wenye furaha tele,

and joyful people --

na watu wenye furaha tele,

the more and more joyful people there are,

wanavyozidi kuwa watu wengi wenye furaha

the more and more we'll have a joyful world.

na hivyo tutakuwa na dunia yenye watu wenye furaha zaidi.

We have a network for grateful living, and it has mushroomed.

Tuna mtandao wa maisha ya kushukuru,

na ina uyoga.

We couldn't understand why it mushroomed.

Na hatuwezi kuelewa kwanini ina uyoga.

We have an opportunity for people to light a candle

Tuna nafasi ya watu kuwasha mshumaa

when they are grateful for something.

wanaposhukuru kwa jambo fulani.

And there have been 15 million candles lit in one decade.

Na kuna mishumaa milioni 15 inayowashwa

katika muongo mmoja.

People are becoming aware that a grateful world is a happy world,

Watu wanaanza kutambua

dunia ya shukrani ni dunia yenye furaha,

and we all have the opportunity by the simple stop, look, go,

na wote tuna nafasi

kwa njia rahisi ya simama,angalia,nenda,

to transform the world, to make it a happy place.

kubadilisha dunia,

kuifanya sehemu ya furaha.

And that is what I hope for us,

Na hilo ndo ninalotumaini kwetu,

and if this has contributed a little to making you want to do the same,

na kama hili linachangia kidogo

kwa kukufanya uhitaji kufanya hichohicho,

stop, look, go.

simama,angalia,nenda.

Thank you.

Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)