How to Find Happiness
This is the question every person on the planet has likely pondered at various points in life. How do I find happiness? It is often an elusive answer, one that takes a long time to discover, but once you know the secret to true joy, it becomes something ingrained in you that can never be taken away.
Most people believe happiness is a goal, a destination they must reach through some other channel. How often have you told yourself things like “When I find my soulmate I’ll be happy” or “When I have the right job, then I’ll be happy”, etc. When happiness is approached as a distant goal, it always stays in the future. It becomes elusive and frustrating.
The key to lasting happiness is realizing that it is a choice, not a goal or attainment with prerequisites. At any moment, we can choose to steer our thoughts in positive directions and when we do this, we invite happiness. Those who work to consciously shift their energy towards the positive vibrations of gratitude and love, find that joy or bliss is a natural byproduct of those efforts.
This doesn’t mean that long-term goals are not important to happiness, indeed they are. When we have goals and dreams, it gives us incentive and motivation. That spark of passion and a true desire to accomplish goals elicits happy feelings. Suddenly, we discover that happiness is in the journey itself and not dependent on the destination. As we work towards loftier goals, we can remain motivated by tracking progress, being actively grateful for the means to work towards the goal and visualizing the desired result with a penetrating focus.
The key to “finding happiness” is to stop searching for it – and start choosing it. Use tools to help you refocus your mind and shift your energy. Use a gratitude journal, introduce items into the home that encourage the flow of positive, abundant energy. Salt lamps, crystals, fountains and other items can help channel new energy and draw peace and happiness.
Mindfulness meditation is another happiness inducing practice. When you enter a meditative state, you are placing yourself fully in the present moment. In this space, there is no anxiety or fear because you are completely here, right now. Anxiety and sadness are the result of living in the past or future. The present moment is like the eye of the storm, a calm, quiet center that is harmonious and serene. Daily meditation, if only for a few minutes, can help you learn to bring your thoughts to the present at will. This can help you to direct your thoughts consciously towards what you do want as opposed to what you don’t.
Our emotions can be viewed as a sort of gauge to see if we are in the right vibrational frequency. Everyone experiences feelings of sadness, anger and fear at times, but if those feelings start to dominate, it indicates not functioning within the higher vibrational capacities. Recognizing when you are veering off course allows you to stop those thoughts and use whatever tools you need to return to center. Genuine states of bliss are found in the heart center and are easily accessible with regular practice.
