Happiness seems to be this elusive destination that so many of us are striving to achieve, to find, to have in our lives and from the things we do and the people we have in it. So much of what we are influenced by comes from social media, television, magazines and the people of seeming influence in our society.
As a result, we have this perception of happiness as a physical, tangible object or event that will make us ‘happy.’ We live in a time of instant gratification and being able to so easily and readily access what we desire and need that we have forgotten how to slow down, enjoy the process and live in the present moment.
Happiness begins and ends from one place and one person…yourself. It is an inside job that comes from creating a state of happiness and joy and gratitude in our heart space. A place where there is pure unconditional love for yourself and the knowing you are worthy of all the love and happiness
you deserve. It is not based on anything or anybody outside of ourselves because anything other than happiness we create outside of ourselves is conditional.
Unconditional means no matter what happens in life, that place inside ourselves from where we create happiness never changes and never runs out.
That space is shaped by our thoughts and internal language patterns which, ultimately, we have control of and, being aware that emotions are just energy in motion. 80 percent of our suffering comes from trapped and suppressed emotions because they are too painful or difficult to deal with so we choose to distract and avoid and ultimately hinder healing and letting them go, this is the fundamental block to being our true authentic self and ultimately, being able to experience true happiness. Emotions are not a reflection of our reality but of the way we choose to perceive them and this comes back to our conditioning and the way we formulate our blueprint of the world and react or choose to respond to the things that happen.
Our blueprint of the world forms in our subconscious mind between 0 and 7 years of age, where we are shaped and influenced mainly by our parents and families and the way they have been conditioned to see and interact with the world. Awareness of our reactions and behaviour being shaped before we even have conscious thought is key to creating a happy, positive mindset.
We have 70-90,000 thoughts a day, of which 80 percent are negative, if we allow ourselves to choose them. There are many things that happen in life that we have no control of that can cause sadness, loneliness, heartbreak and pain and for periods affect our happiness. The meanings we apply to the things that cause suffering are what determines how long we choose to stay in states of negative or low emotional state.
Staying in our heart space and out of the negative mind and thoughts and creating true lasting happiness is a daily practice of self-loving actions, random acts of kindness, gratitude for even the smallest things, time in nature, living in the present moment and being conscious, growing and learning and finding ways to contribute to the lives of others.
Jelena Parry
