Many of us have been brought up with the idea that life is constant suffering, that happiness is not possible, and, if it seems to happen, it’s somehow wrong. Sometimes life just seems to confirm that view over and over again with all the misery around us. But that’s just a paradigm that reduces happiness to an optional whim with monstrous misrepresentations. Paradigms can and should be changed when they work against us.
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Happiness is not a destination or a goal, although you can see it that way. Happiness is more like the magnetic needle of a compass, it shows you if you’re aligned with your best self, it guides you towards thoughts and actions that bring you closer to a fuller and more satisfying expression of your self. The degree of happiness you feel shows you how much of your true self you are allowing to shine through. Lack of happiness tells you that you’re untrue to yourself, repressing your feelings and expression.
Unlike the many ideas people have about happiness and what we should do in life, happiness, when seen as a guiding tool, is always accurate, and, most importantly, it is accurate for you specifically. It tells you what is important to you, what you truly need and desire, and never what you should think, feel, say, or do. Happiness never points you to a way of suffering or punishment, shame or guilt.
Happiness is not a reward or a prize, it isn’t something you deserve or need to earn. It is not an inert point on a scale, but a changing indicator of where you are in relation to yourself. If you ever feel lost, happiness will show you the right track again, the track to being your own best friend, the wonderful person you truly are. And the best part of it all is that even when you feel unhappy, you are guided as well 🙂