| Whatever we want in life, a partner, more | | | | when we keep trying to find happiness it only |
| money, good health, a fulfilling career, or | | | | serves to reinforce our dilemma of never being |
| enlightenment, it all comes down to the same | | | | able to find it. The more we search for happiness, |
| thing: behind all the wishes, behind all the desires, | | | | the more it reflects our resistance or avoidance |
| and beyond every symbol, we want to feel | | | | of life right now. The past is behind us and the |
| happy. After all, if we feel completely happy, | | | | future has yet to come, what we have is now. |
| what more do we need? And if we don't feel | | | | We all have the choice to be happy now or |
| happy, there is not a relationship or career that | | | | never. |
| can satisfy us. | | | | Most of our stress and suffering in life comes |
| All men and women want to find happiness, but | | | | from our mind's resistance to what is. Happiness |
| you don't find happiness anymore than an artist | | | | isn't about getting what we want as much as |
| finds a beautiful statue; he or she sculpts it from | | | | wanting what we get. If our lives meet our basic |
| a shapeless stone. A musician doesn't find an | | | | needs for clothing, food, and shelter, then any |
| intricate melody; he or she composes it from the | | | | unhappiness you feel comes from your mind's |
| eight note scale. | | | | resistance. If you take this same resistant mind |
| Happiness is not an acquisition, it's a skill. We don't | | | | with you into the future, this unhappiness will |
| experience happiness because of something that | | | | remain with you no matter how delightful your |
| we're getting, like a raise or money. We | | | | external circumstances are. |
| experience happiness because of how we're living. | | | | I don't mean to imply that the discipline of |
| For example, having a tennis racket doesn't make | | | | creating happiness is easy. It's not. And any |
| you a good tennis player, learning how to play | | | | process of learning involves mistakes and failures; |
| tennis does. Having material things doesn't make | | | | but it gets easier over time. |
| you happy; living each moment of the day to the | | | | Happy people create happiness. It's the most |
| fullest does. Happiness is living in the present | | | | contagious energy on earth. But, you can't |
| moment. You experience happiness when you | | | | pretend to be happy or engage in denial or |
| know exactly where you are in your life at a | | | | repression. If you do, you'll only be fooling |
| given moment, and experience that moment to | | | | yourself. When you create happiness, you fully |
| the fullest. | | | | acknowledge and honor whatever emotions are |
| Getting the things you want in life won't make | | | | passing through. You watch them like clouds |
| you happy unless you know how to enjoy every | | | | passing by, but you focus your attention on the |
| moment. For example, if you don't know how to | | | | sunshine above the clouds. By doing this, you are |
| enjoy five hundred dollars, you will not enjoy five | | | | intentionally creating a space of unconditional |
| thousand dollars when you get it, or even five | | | | happiness. And this is much different from just |
| hundred thousand dollars. If you can't enjoy taking | | | | saying "I'm happy" or bravely pretending to be |
| a walk in your neighborhood, and you travel to | | | | happy. It's the only happiness that is not |
| Hawaii, Paris, or Rome, you won't be any happier | | | | dependent on outside circumstances. |
| there either. Now I'm not saying having money or | | | | If I could give you a formula for happiness, it |
| taking more trips doesn't make your life easier or | | | | would be: Become fully conscious of what you're |
| more fun. It does. But those things don't make | | | | doing, perceiving, or experiencing in a given |
| you deeply happy because they can't. Only | | | | moment. Once you're conscious of it, allow |
| enjoying life's real moments can. | | | | yourself to break through that illusion of |
| If we look closely at our lives, most of us don't | | | | separation and connect with the person, thing, or |
| feel very happy much of the time because we | | | | feeling. Then surrender totally into that connection |
| focus our attention on precisely the things that | | | | and experience. Now you should be in tune with |
| make us feel bad, our problems, and the issues | | | | and actually experiencing the moment. Our lives |
| we have in our personal and business lives. Most | | | | are made up of a succession of moments that |
| of us find happiness elusive because we aren't | | | | occur all the time. It's up to us to enjoy them. |
| exactly sure what it looks like. Like a rainbow, it | | | | For example, let's say you're walking up a |
| appears before us at times, but it's always | | | | mountain that overlooks the ocean. You stop for |
| temporary. | | | | moment and look out at the beautiful vista, feeling |
| Working toward material success, expanded | | | | the fresh air, and for a second you feel at one |
| awareness, and love helps to make our lives | | | | with everything, you have this kind of high feeling. |
| exciting and meaningful. Yet, the urge to find | | | | That's a real moment of happiness in your life. |
| happiness may be our deepest human drive. | | | | You deserve to have all the happiness that life |
| Despite our achievement and successes, many of | | | | has to offer. Make the most out of each moment |
| us have a sense that something is still missing in | | | | in your life and enjoy it. Don't wait for happiness |
| our life. And it is this feeling that causes us to | | | | to come to you. Create it yourself with each |
| continue to search for happiness. | | | | moment. You can become the magician by |
| Wanting to grow, expand, explore, and improve | | | | creating happy experiences whenever and |
| are natural human drives. But many of us think | | | | wherever you want. |
| that when we find what we're looking for, it will | | | | Copyright(c)2004 by Joe Love and JLM & |
| make us happy. Only to find that it doesn't. And | | | | Associates,Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. |