The Source of Happiness..?
What does it take for you to feel happy? What are the ingredients that open your heart to a wave of joy? Most of us can easily think of plenty of items that would fit perfectly on our personal Happiness List. We cheer ourselves up by thinking of life’s little pleasures and the things that raise our spirits and make us smile. In fact, we’re conditioned from early childhood to associate happiness with our surroundings. We instinctively strive for comfort, security, food, love and affection and even for recognition. These are the typical foundations for the condition that we call happiness. But each of these factors is only temporary. Each of these items can be thwarted, blocked, challenged or removed. And that means our happiness is a fragile affair. Because it can be taken away in a heartbeat. Such is the fragility of any expression of happiness that is based on our circumstances.
In other times and other places, it was recognised that happiness should not be built solely on the shifting sands of our material circumstances. Since happiness was understood as such a fundamental influence upon our health and wellbeing, it was considered too important to be dependent on anything that was purely transient. The ancient sages and philosophers advised that happiness should be sought as a way of being rather than as a goal or objective.
The purpose of today’s blog is to emphasise that happiness is our natural and most favourable condition. We flourish and thrive when happiness tales root in our hearts. It’s a potent source of wellbeing and a natural boost to our health and creativity. It helps us to develop enormous resistance to life’s inevitable trials and upheavals. It’s also a fabulous source of resilience.
When you pause to examine the flow of your thoughts and feelings and elect to introduce happiness into your stream of consciousness, the results can be extraordinary. When you take control of the flow of happiness in your life and integrate the feeling as a natural extension of your daily experience, you take control of your emotional reactions. Your happiness and wellbeing are less dependent on external events or circumstances. Every part of your life benefits from this simple adjustment in your behaviour. You discover the real source of enduring happiness.