Are You Open to Happiness…?
It might seem like a strange question because most of us are conditioned to believe that the pursuit of happiness is the main purpose in life. But, if it’s such an important part of our lives, perhaps we should ask ourselves why so many people are unhappy. The plight of starving nations surely calls into question why those who enjoy the privileges of safety, shelter, security, adequate food and freedom should suffer from the shadow of unhappiness. With so much to celebrate, what could blind us to our good fortune? Why do we stubbornly resist the inner peace and happiness that some would claim to be our most natural condition? It’s a complex issue but it deserves a closer look.
The simple fact is that if we are not open to love, to happiness, to success, to fulfilment, we are highly unlikely to experience any of these precious aspects of the human condition. Let’s remember that the resistance that obstructs our ability to experience the wonders of life is located within our own emotional framework. Our willingness to open our lives to happiness is not based, therefore, on our external environment. Childhood conditioning might have taught us that happiness is too fragile to hold because someone might come along and break it, or snatch it away. Heartbreak and betrayal can wound us so deeply that we fear the unbearable sting of rejection for the rest of our lives. Love can only be sampled in safe but small doses. We volunteer for self-imposed impoverishment and wonder why we feel that something is missing. We ask ourselves in the early hours of the night why our lives feel so empty.
A change in circumstances might be helpful but, for most of us, a change in our willingness to be open to love, to happiness, to joy, success and fulfilment is the great key to enriching our lives. Smile. Even if you don’t feel that you have anything to smile about. Take a deeper breath and let go of the folly of your worries. Take a moment to savour the joy of being alive in this magical moment that is the present. Feel the power within yourself. Trust yourself. Give yourself the precious gift of feeling more happiness than you ever thought possible. Let this profound acceptance of your potential for greater happiness become the foundation for the rest of your life.