Happiness seems to be elusive for many people. We are asked, What makes you happy? as if something can make us happy. Have you watched an infant or a young child? They seem quite happy to just BEno matter what they are doingthey are happy. They are in awe of the world and experience joy with each discovery and accomplishment. Yes, I know children are given every toy imaginable, but the child would be just as happy to have a spoon and metal pan to bang on. Of course children fuss or cry when they are tired, hungry or bored, but while they are physically comfortable and nutritionally satiated, they are happy just being. Unfortunately, when children learn to walk and talk they are told to sit down and shut upi.e. they are subjected to an endless barrage of criticism from those around them. As a result, their psyche becomes filled with negative thoughts that prevent them from experiencing happiness. Children then resort to looking for things outside themselves for happinessthe next toy or thing. The majority of people arrive into adulthood believing that something will make them happy, such as: when they graduate; when they are twenty-one; when they get a job or get a new job; when they find the right husband/wife; when they buy a bigger or faster car, buy a bigger house, when they get promoted; when they retire, and so on. Happiness, thus, becomes an elusive goal that is anticipated some time in the future. But happiness is not contingent on things or events; it is not a destination, but a state of being. It is not meant to be experienced in the future, but at this very moment, NOWRight Now! Our past is dead and our future is unborn. The only time we live is now. So, the place to be happy is here; the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make everything we do a moment of awe and wonder, just as you experienced everything as a child. To regain our natural state of Happiness we need to RELEASE the negativity that clogs our mind. When this is done, we will be free to re-experience our natural state of happiness. It is not what we have, but who we are; not what we possess, but what we enjoy. How do you get rid of the negativity in your mind? It would be wonderful if the brain had a delete key like a computer. Unfortunately, that isnt the case. Therefore, we need to be mindful of everything we think and say. For what we think and say is how we create our reality. The way to create a new realitystate of mindis to STOP the old tapes and feed our minds with more nutritional information. We need emotional and spiritual sustenance for the mind, a.k.a vitamins for the mind. Read good booksthere are many excellent titles to choose from. I will recommend the books I find the most helpful. You Cant Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Peter McWilliams The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck Conversations With God Book I, II, III, Neale Donald Walsch Friendship With God, Neale Donald Walsch The Power of Unconditional Love, Ken Keyes How to Know God: The Soul's Journey Into the Mystery of Mysteries, Deepak Chopra, M.D. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra, M.D. Love Is Letting Go Of Fear, Gerome Jampolsky, M.D. The 7 Habits of Successful People, Steven Covey The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life, Deepak Chopra, M.D. The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, Deepak Chopra, M.D. |
