Happy all the time is an excellent way to live. You say something like, “He makes me so happy.” Or “She makes me happy.” But do they? So often, you seek love and friendship from others because you want to be happier. Can someone make you happy?
It is part of our culture to think that things like cars, homes, boats, and RVs are authentic sources of happiness. Identifying with a house or a specific city is a false reality because it carries no weight. It’s merely an illusion of happiness, and it’s a way to feed the ego vs. feeding the soul. Yes, it’s comforting to live in a lovely home and area, especially for safety reasons. I’m not speaking about basic needs but rather placing importance on zip codes and addresses to identify YOU.
The Dali Lama says, “Happiness is not something ready-made, and it comes from your actions.”
Where do you look for happiness? I’m hoping you’ll say within yourself.
A Happy Inside
True and lasting happiness comes from within you and is based on your relationship with yourself. Developing a relationship with yourself means you are willing to look beyond life’s surface, dig deeper into emotional makeup, and be present with how you feel and think. Another name for this is mindfulness.
The path to happiness is similar to the path to spiritual awakening. Spiritually awakened people are happy, and it’s part of the territory, not to mention loving. It takes courage to say you have issues and to look inwards and beyond the surface.
Everything transpiring in your life first originates from you. If you are seeking happiness, you must look inwards and not to others for lasting happiness. So how can you be happier?
- First, determine what is making you unhappy. Is it your marriage, other relationships like friendships, job, lifestyle or what else could make you unhappy?
- After determining the cause of your unhappiness, ask yourself, “What is the real issue?” The first question clues you into the physical cause, and question two asks you to go deeper than the surface to find the cause of unhappiness.
Locating the cause of unhappiness is a process that takes some time. Sit with yourself and write things out. Talk to friends or family and ask them what makes them happy. Do an overview of life experiences to see what events and experiences gave you great pleasure.
- The good news is you can change even if you believe it’s another person or situation beyond your control. You can change your mind from thinking negatively to thinking positively.
- Recite the mantra “I Am Happy” daily and keep your mind focused on it. Write it out and place it on your mirror or the refrigerator, so you look at “I Am Happy” all the time. The more you recite the mantra “I Am Happy,” you quickly notice what doesn’t make you happy and drop those things from your life.
Don’t forget to incorporate happy foods from the earlier post to help maintain a happy disposition. Are you ready to be happy?
