What a question. Have you taken an inventory lately? Checks and balances on the happy/unhappy scale? Are all the boxes ticked in the 'must-do' list of creating happiness? And yet, still the moments of happiness sit with you for such a short time before something, anything, comes along to snatch it away.
Why is happiness so ephemeral, so fleeting?
Perhaps all that is needed is a shift in perspective. Happiness is a gift you can only give to yourself. Intending your actions to create happiness for others, or even waiting upon others' actions to bring you happiness, are both redundant means to being happy.
Happiness is a gift you can only give yourself. And how do you do that? There is but one way to gift yourself with happiness in a manner that is not fleeting. To know happiness from the moment your eyes open to the minute you fall asleep (and most likely in your dreams) is to be full of gratitude for your life exactly as it is. To be overflowing with thanks for the opportunity of your life. Can you do that? It is a practice of discipline and focus. It is a state of mind. But do not doubt that it is from this state of mind that the riches of the Universe are drawn towards you. Gratitude is the lubricant of the Soul and only when it is flowing can all that is yours be drawn towards you.
As Chin-Ning Chu states in her book Secrets of the Rainmaker, "Next time when people ask you, 'Are you happy?' answer, 'Yes, I am happy, even when I am not happy.' Be unlike most people who live in such a way that even when they are happy, they are unhappy."
Give yourself permission to know happiness. It is a mental state. It is a gift given to the Self. Be that gift through gratitude for all that you are in this very moment.
Lovely. Thank you! This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. I very much like the Chin-ning Chu quote. Makes a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteI was just listening to talk on TED last night about the paralyzing nature of choice and I was thinking it ties in with the choice to be happy and what you said about gratitude and being thankful for opportunities.
When we are bombarded with so many options, I think it can be easy to be disappointed and have regrets about the path not taken and what might have been rather than being grateful for having a choice at all and enjoying the path we are on and just be happy.
I think your perspective is very timely for me... even if i'm going off on a tangent :)
Thank you!!
xxx
L
ps. here is the barry schwartz talk I mentioned.
http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html