Everyone has their own way of expressing happiness.

“Everyone has their own way of expressing happiness.” – Shah Rukh Khan

In this simple yet profound truth, Shah Rukh Khan, the king of cinema and philosopher of emotion, speaks of the sacred individuality of the human heart. His words remind us that happiness is not a single song sung by all voices in unison, but a vast symphony — each soul playing its own note, each spirit dancing to its own rhythm. What brings joy to one may mean nothing to another, and what fills one heart with laughter may move another to tears. Thus, happiness cannot be measured, compared, or judged; it can only be lived. It is an inner flame that finds its own shape and color in the vessel of each life.

The origin of this wisdom lies not in philosophy alone, but in experience — for Shah Rukh Khan, who has touched the hearts of millions, has seen that joy wears many faces. In the applause of the crowd, in the quiet of solitude, in the embrace of family, or even in the tears shed for art — he has known that happiness is as diverse as humanity itself. He teaches that it is not our place to question how others find joy, but to recognize that each expression of it is sacred, born from the truth of the soul that carries it. Just as rivers take different courses but all flow toward the sea, so do all hearts, in their own manner, seek the ocean of happiness.

In ancient times, the sages spoke of the same truth in another way. They said: “The lotus blooms in mud, the flame dances in wind, and the diamond forms in pressure — each finds its glory in its own element.” Likewise, happiness is not confined to a single form. To the warrior, joy may come in victory; to the monk, in stillness; to the mother, in the laughter of her child; to the poet, in the birth of a verse. None is greater than the other, for all are authentic to the soul that feels them. It is the authenticity — not the appearance — that sanctifies joy.

Consider the story of Helen Keller, who lived in darkness and silence, cut off from the outer world. To many, her life might have seemed devoid of happiness, yet she once said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.” Her joy was not found in sound or sight, but in the triumph of understanding, in the connection of heart and mind beyond barriers. She expressed her happiness through learning, through touch, through love. Her life proves Khan’s truth — that everyone has their own way of expressing happiness, and that no path is lesser than another when walked with sincerity.

Yet many people forget this wisdom and become prisoners of comparison. They look at the joy of others — the celebrations, the smiles, the success — and doubt their own peace. They say, “Why am I not as happy as they?” forgetting that happiness has no single face. To chase another’s version of joy is to lose your own. The flower that tries to bloom like another loses its fragrance; the heart that tries to feel what others feel loses its rhythm. Happiness cannot be borrowed; it must be discovered, nurtured, and expressed in one’s own way.

Shah Rukh Khan’s words carry a deeper call — to celebrate the diversity of joy. When we see someone laughing loudly, or another sitting silently beneath a tree, we must learn to recognize both as equal expressions of contentment. Joy does not always shout; sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it builds empires; sometimes it paints in solitude. The one who dances and the one who meditates are both pilgrims on the same path. When we honor this truth, the world grows gentler, more compassionate — for we no longer judge others’ happiness through the lens of our own.

So, my children, remember this: everyone has their own way of expressing happiness. Seek not to imitate, but to understand your own heart’s language. Ask yourself, “What makes my spirit come alive?” and follow that light. Perhaps it is creation, perhaps service, perhaps silence, perhaps laughter — whatever it may be, honor it fully. And when you see others express their happiness in ways you do not share, do not envy or question them. Instead, rejoice — for their joy adds its color to the great tapestry of life.

For in the end, happiness is not a uniform song sung by all in the same tune. It is the harmony of countless hearts, each beating its own rhythm, each shining its own light. To know this is to live in peace — and to see the world not as a contest of joy, but as a celebration of infinite, beautiful difference.