Tag Archives: #happiness

The Measure of Happiness

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“I have had more than half a century of such happiness. A great deal of worry and sorrow, too, but never a worry or a sorrow that was not offset by a purple iris, a lark, a bluebird, or a dewy morning glory.”

~Mary McLeod Bethune~

There are many ways to navigate through life and each journey is unique. Our varied experiences lead us through expanding levels of consciousness and this long, amazing journey weaves through everything that this world has to offer. The point of our sojourn on earth is to facilitate spiritual wisdom that is obtained through the illusion of separation. Throughout our many lifetimes we explore the highs and lows of human experience.

Those who are ready to choose peace often find joy in the simple things while cultivating their innate ability to step into the power of the present moment. If there is any dis-ease in your experience, observe your level of judgment, attachment or the need to fight against what is. In this moment, you can handle what is in front of you. In this moment you can dive deeper in anything that brings you joy.

Enlightenment occurs when we can recognize the contrasting polarities of all experience as sacred. Having compassion and empathy for those still caught in the illusion, we embrace the whole without judgment. This creates space in which transformation can occur.

Willing to Receive

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“The true path to happiness requires our openhearted attention to the exact things that seem to block our way to it.”

~Ezra Bayda~

Happiness is a choice. Rather than embracing fear or becoming lost in complacency, purposely seek joy in the present moment and reengage life’s magic.

When you realize that the ego is running old scripts – getting lost in ideas of this will never change or what’s the use? – place all of your attention upon it. Operating from healthy awareness, you may discover how much the ego would rather be right than be happy. Self fulfilling prophesies strengthen the original story, idea or imprint. When others attempt to offer a different perspective, the mind will often reject it out-of-hand rather than risk being wrong.

Happiness exists in the midst of contrast. We can mourn a loss while appreciating the beauty of the sunrise. By taking responsibility for our state of consciousness in the present moment and choosing happiness in the Now, we set the stage for life to rise up and meet us where we are. Be willing to accept healing in wherever form it may arrive. You choose the filter through which you create your perception of life.

It’s Not Personal

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“Life is a continuous ebb and flow, like the seasons, like the ocean’s waves. When we learn to ‘ride’ with them, our life becomes easier, with less resistance.”

~Romy Macias~

Yesterday I was on the receiving end of a barrage of anger from a neighbor. Because I am not bi-lingual, it was difficult to know exactly why she was angry; though, it didn’t take any great psychic ability to get the gist that she didn’t want me to use her trash can. So, responding to that, I simply said that I was sorry and would not do it again in the future. As the yelling continued, I finally was able to indicate my lack of understanding and wished her a good day as she glared at me, seemingly desirous of a confrontation of some sort.

In that moment I could recognize that she was likely triggered by something else prior to the interaction and observed (thankfully) that I had very little egoic engagement. Even if the attack was personal, I couldn’t understand so no reactivity arose within me.

That led me to realize how easily we can walk in the world when we view egoic reactivity as speaking another language. Understand that everyone has their own struggles and more often than not, others’ reactivity is not personal.

If you speak the language of compassion, then anger can be recognized as an entirely different level of communicating. To be gentle with one another, seek only to be aware of your own state of consciousness, own what’s yours, and discard the rest.

 

Happiness

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“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”
~Carlos Castaneda~
Happiness is a choice. So is misery. Each of us is responsible for our own joy; therefore, change begins with consciously changing our thoughts – choosing happiness again and again until it becomes our natural response to daily events. All transformation comes from within.
Life will provide ample opportunities to practice acceptance, forgiveness and compassion. The process of growth is both deeply personal and collective. Your unique journey is one of learning mastery and those who grace your life play the roles required for your awakening.
When you choose thoughts that create empowerment and peacefulness, nothing has the power to take your happiness away. Even in the midst of tremendous challenge, there will be a groundedness of spirit that is unshakable.
In the present moment, can you choose to surrender to what is? That is the foundation of genuine happiness. Make this a daily practice of walking meditation as you go deeper into your own expression of joy. Open yourself to the experience of life without judging or trying to control. This is the art of contentment.

Presence

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“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
~Susan Polis Schutz~

One of the things I love most about this planet is how many doorways we can utilize to dive deeper into the present moment. There are endless sparks of light and energy to explore and limitless ways to access the Now. This is your moment of liberation and discovery. Allow a tree to teach you about patience and stillness. Lose yourself in the artistry of the clouds as they make pictures in the sky. Listen to the multiple voices of nature and let them awaken the songs within you. Take all this energy and inspiration, blend it with your joy and your passion and then live it to the best of your ability. You have chosen to be here now, to be a light in the darkness.

 

 

Find Your Voice

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How often do we witness people living day to day in a state of unhappiness or exhaustion, doing what they feel they need to do instead of what they want to do? From the outside it’s easy to see that different choices will bring a different experience; however, we are often blinded by our own programming and expectations.
A friend shared a story recently: He was speaking to his teenage daughter, giving advice about work and purpose and sharing his belief that she should love what she does if she wants to be happy. When she innocently asked why he works in a profession that he dislikes, he realized that he had set his dreams aside. In that moment, she became the teacher. He decided to change his life, live his passion and expressed gratitude to his kind and insightful daughter for leading him back to happiness.
If you’re not in a position to drop all and do what you love, choose to love what you do. Life will respond to the energy you bring to each moment – often in ways that are unexpected.

Walking your talk and speaking your truth with integrity is your unique and authentic way of being in the world. There is nothing more beautiful than someone who is comfortable with who they are. Peace emanates from them. No energy is wasted trying to please the perceived desires of others. Instead, they allow the light of the Divine to experience itself through them and it’s incredibly beautiful.

Moment to Moment

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“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh~

Step lightly. Be gentle. In this way you can be the observer and rise above the intensity of life. You can choose to find balance and peace Now by bringing loving awareness into this moment.

There will, of course, be times when you stumble or miss the mark. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Learn to find the humor in the situation, dust yourself off, get up and move on knowing this is just another seed of wisdom that has been planted into your psyche. The light of consciousness will nurture and help it to grow.

All that you need is already here and the way into fulfillment is by going deeper into life. Willingness is the gateway to enlightenment. When you are willing to accept what is, the lack of resistance allows your energy to be channeled into the present moment without being diffused. Pure Divine energy then flows into all that you experience and all that you do.

Should you need assistance going deeper into the Now, let an animal help you. Here is Skye McKitten.

Fulfillment

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“I think instead [of happiness] we should be working for contentment… an inner sense of fulfillment that’s relatively independent of external circumstances.”
~Andrew Weil~
You are a miracle and there is no one in the world quite like you. Your insights and unique way of looking at life are an integral part of the whole of existence. Simply by being yourself, you bring light to our collective experience.
Part of the human condition is to forget our brilliance. Doubt and self-criticism blind us to the beauty of creation that lives through us. Seek to turn your attention inward. Find the space between breaths, between thoughts and enter the gap of infinite possibility.
Fulfillment is nothing more (and nothing less) than being at ease where you are. Take a moment tonight to go outside and gaze at the full moon, appreciate the starlight and feel the love that rains down upon you from all dimensions. Everything seeks to support your awakening.
You have an opportunity to share your love, your light and your laughter. See your life as a communion with the Divine. Bring gentleness and humility to your life experience and you will feel at home wherever you are.

 

 

Allowing Happiness

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“How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and there will never be a time that is not now.”
~Gerald Jampolsky~

Allowing is the secret to happiness. Once we begin to let go, space is created in our lives, and in that space we discover beauty that was there all along. All too often the mind engages in an inner warfare of holding on to old resentments or patterns that result in unhappiness. While we’re distracted by this inner dialog, life continues on.

Each of us has the capacity to set ourselves free from the burdens that we carry. Create enough openings in your experience to participate in the mysteries of the Divine. Don’t postpone your happiness – life is here Now.

Love this moment and participate in it fully. When it’s time to work, be fully present and engaged. When it’s time to relax, leave work behind and allow yourself the time to recharge. If the moment calls upon you to lie in the sun, enjoy every aspect of it.

As you develop your own inner richness and maturity, you’ll become less attached to the romanticized ideas of youth. Cultivating a connection to the Divine brings joy into the present moment. Sometimes the sight of a beautiful sunset will lift us out of thought and into Presence where joy resides.

Peaceful Moments

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“When our body, mind and soul are working in balance, we learn to handle any situation without internal or external stress. We learn to live a peaceful life.”
~Purvi Raniga~
In every moment you have a choice: reject or accept. To experience inner peace we must consciously choose to respond to life in a way that is mindful and engaged, yet filled with compassionate detachment. One who walks through the world with mastery and balance brings the gift of higher perception to those who are touched by their presence.
Create peaceful moments in your experience. Periodically enter the gap of ‘no mind’ and cultivate a sacred connection to the Divine that will keep you aligned with the most beautiful aspects of who you are. Stillness holds infinite potential and creates a space where transformation is possible.
Kindness is a way of being. Expanding consciousness calls upon us to purposely see the sacred in all things and all people, even those who cannot yet see it in themselves – especially those who cannot see it within themselves. And therein lies our work: To be the light in a world that is often beset by darkness and a living, thriving example of awareness in motion.