Monday, June 11, 2012

I believe that happiness—true and fulfilling happiness—originates from within.  There are those who would argue this point, clinging to the notion that happiness can be bought or obtained through sources outside us.  I’m not a subscriber to this notion.

Happiness is something that can only be realized if a person is balanced within himself or herself.  Matters not what the world throws at them.  If an individual is in tune with their needs and have taken measures to center themselves, then happiness will prevail.  Doesn’t mean it will come all at once in a blinding blaze of glory.  Or that it will rush in, eradicating any and all negative influences a person may be undertaking. 

That’s okay….  Why?  Because I also believe that happiness—true and fulfilling happiness—takes time and patience.  As do all things that are worth waiting for, fulfillment comes at the cost of focusing on what one really needs.  Not the outside worldly influences that drive some to be consumed with greed.  Ya know, the mentality that if I only had more or was in the right relationship then I’d be happy.  Don’t believe those fallacies.  They’re blatant lies!

Surrounding one’s self with worldly possessions, though they can make life more comfortable, does…not…yield…happiness!  Having the biggest, and best, and shiniest objects along with the latest technology does not guarantee that a person will be fulfilled.  Likewise, believing that one’s happiness can only be brought about through another is an empty way to live one’s life.  I believe that often the quest to have and obtain more—materialist or relational—clouds a person’s mind to the path they should take to find true happiness.

Where does that path originate?  From within.  The path to true and fulfilling happiness stems from a person’s core.  Have a vacancy in that core, some major elemental piece of the puzzle missing, such as a lack of self-confidence in one’s own abilities, and a person might as well attempt to roll a giant boulder up a steep hill, consisting of clay-like muck.  Why?  Simple.  Like that clay-like muck, a person’s inability to see within themselves the potential for self-made happiness will cause them to slip, flounder and will ultimately hold them back from their objective.

So how does one locate the central originating focal point that will allow them to plot the course of their journey to fulfilling happiness?  By allowing their focus to reflect that they are the true source of their happiness…not some object or other person to whom they want to cling to in the hopes of finding true and fulfilling happiness.

In short, a person will maintain a void part of their core, which will block them from fulfilling their quest to happiness until they learn to be content with themselves.  Only then will outside influences stand a chance of enhancing their happiness.