True Happiness

The happiness which most seek is always contingent on something from the outside, if this or that happens then I’ll be happy, but true happiness is from within and doesn’t need anything to be.

Thinking about being happy isn’t the same as allowing happiness to arise just because that’s what’s there. This seems to be difficult to grasp and it’s because one can’t think their way to true happiness. Stories can be made up that makes it seem as though one is happy, but it never last. The happiness most seek is contingent on something, if this or that happens then I’ll be happy, but this is another lie of the Conditioned Mind, and there are many. All kinds of examples can be used, if I win the Super Bowl pool, job promotions, snow day off from school, children getting A’s in school, new car, you can add your own happiness provider to the list. The point is, this list is endless and whatever it is that one attain I guarantee you the happiness it brings for that moment will not last. The other day the media was interviewing Bill Belichick, the Super Bowl winning coach for the New England Patriots, they asked him how he felt about winning the Super Bowl, he answered “nice, but all the other teams are five weeks ahead of our team for next year.” This illustrates just how fleeting the happiness is that’s contingent on something for it to be.

The happiness I mentioned in the beginning of the article which arises because it’s what’s there, is not contingent on anything, therefore it is true happiness; I would put it right along side the peace that passes all understanding. I experience both of these everyday for most of the day and it wells up from within me. I don’t make it happen, but I am aware of my thinking which is a direct hinderance to true happiness and this is because you can’t think your way to happiness, you can only think your way to a surface happiness which is contingent on something from outside yourself. The key to true happiness is not needing right now different. I know this is difficult especially when things don’t go your way, but the alternative is to want things different and keep searching for a happiness that will probably remain elusive until the day you leave this world.