Happiness — that simple gift of quiet satisfaction. We long to be happy. We reach for it. We even cry for happiness.
But that is in our private moments. In public, we paste platitudes on the face of this sacred search. We are afraid to show our vulnerability — as if it were a weakness to crave a thing so beautiful, and as seemingly delicate, as happiness.
Our world requires “tough and smart,” so we pooh pooh the search to be happy. But where does that leave our inner longing?
Do all the goal-setting techniques and success seminars really out-sparkle genuine happiness? Is happiness something we need to create, or is it something we discover?
What is happiness anyway?
Happiness is a golden river that silently flows through every cell of your body. Happiness is basic. You find it in the simple; in the calm; in all of the small moments that stir your heart.
You will never create happiness through your intellect because happiness is a quality of your mind; it is not a product of your mind. It is the realization that beauty and power exist within you, and within nature. Happiness is being able to feel that beauty and use that power.
As intelligent conscious beings, our natural state of synchronicity is deep within this realm of perceived beauty and power. Our experience of this magical land is happiness.
Is it that difficult to find happiness?
Where can happiness be?
They say that happiness is elusive; a slippery thing, not easily held.
And yet the stuff of happiness is everywhere. It is all around you in each moment, in each person in your life, and in every step you take on this holy ground. Happiness is yours to choose to see.
Stop for a moment. Breathe. Open your eyes to what is around you. See the people in your life that you love. Breathe the beauty of nature and melt into it, and allow it to melt into you.
If you want to know happiness; if you want to find it, take a walk. Smell the grasses and trees. Look down at your feet. See the small but powerful beauty of the wild flowers pushing up between rocks. Why do you think you feel their beauty? It is natural isn’t it? But why?
A wild flower is just one example of nature’s gift, and its message to you: that beauty and happiness are at your feet; that it is your choice to either see them or walk on by, and that seemingly delicate beauty, possesses great strength.
You will find happiness in your connection to this natural world — including your own nature. You will find happiness in curiosity. You will unearth it when you indulge your sense of awe and excitement.
Accept the gift of happiness
We live in a rich universe of unimaginable abundance, power, and mystery. Is it that difficult to accept the simple happiness embodied in the pure and beautiful?
You can still be tough and street-smart. You can still go toe-to-toe with the best of them. But do take time to look down at your feet now and then to notice where you are. And especially, take a moment to see the small beauty that grows in the hard places of your life. Feel just how powerful that beauty is, and be happy for it.
Happiness can be a yellow flower – if you so choose.
Please share your thoughts on happiness in the comments.
Over to you now…
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16 comments ↓
This is so true! Children are almost always happy and laughing, but we as adults ask them, “WHY are YOU so happy?” as if something is wrong with them.
Why not allow your natural happiness to flower and show?
“You will never create happiness through your intellect because happiness is a quality of your mind; it is not a product of your mind.” – Loved this line.
I believe happiness is our natural state. We might have come far off from it but still, there is no need to search for it. If only we could remove layers of thoughts and negative emotions; if we simplify our lives – we would automatically reach our natural state – happiness.
Very nice article, John.
Of course happiness can be brought about by relationships, as well as by interaction with natural beauty.
I thoroughly enjoyed this article John, it was such a refreshing break during this hot day.
Mostly, I appreciated the simplicity of the article, that happiness is uncomplicated and readily available, no need to reinvent the wheel!
Your writing evoked a Zen like calm in me, to which I owe you a big Thank You!
“Happiness is a golden river that silently flows through every cell of your body.”
That’s a pretty amazing line, John.
This is first class material. I loved it.
Though, I would say that happiness can be found in the intellect just as it can be found in the spirit.
We can choose thoughts which are conducive to happiness, or thoughts which literally drive us mad.
Happiness is on many levels. Can be found in many places…
But, if we are unable to focus our mind and channel our thoughts properly, our thoughts will have a mind of their own.
I love how you say that happiness is embodied in the pure and beautiful. Why shouldn’t it be that simple?
Thanks guys,
I appreciate that you took time out to share your own thoughts on happiness, and how you felt about mine.
I enjoyed writing this from that place of simplicity within. I hope it is a path for others to be there as well.
Nicely done.
I remember a quote in the movie “The Pursuit Of Happiness”. That maybe the words pursuit means that happiness is never a thing we can totally grasped. It will always be a thing we pursue.
Of course I don’t agree. Life can be so complex if we want it to be, it can just easily can be simple if we want it. Why then should we choose the more difficult route.
And as you cleverly described in the article, the best way to find happiness is to be appreciative of what we have now.
Ron’s comment reminds me of the first time I used the phrase “Happiness as a spiritual practice” (what Cheerful Monk is all about). It was in a pen pal magazine and one fellow wrote, “Are you sniffing glue or something? That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.” I still laugh when I think of it. In fact, people do tend to think we’re stupid if we’re too visibly happy.
On the other hand, the Dalai Lama believes that happiness is the purpose of life, and the only way to be happy is to be compassionate towards yourself and others. For me it takes a bit more than that. I agree with Joseph Campbell:
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality….”
That’s what brings me happiness, that resonance. I call it “slipping into sacred space”, and for me it happens when I immersed doing something for its own sake, in the present moment, with no thought of future reward.
Another great post. Thanks, John.
I think we really, at our core, do find happiness in the simple things. Friends. Family. Doing something we enjoy. Money doesn’t buy happiness. As much as some people try to disprove that. I sometimes get caught up in that as well – I need to make more money so I can have X or Y. In reality, X and Y don’t bring me true happiness.
We just returned from a vacation that took us well into nature, and completely away from normal civilization. And this was true happiness for me. The stars at night. The sunrise. The river flowing. And it was happiness because I was not distracted by the normalities of life.
Just today I had my first ride on a rickshaw in India through the crazy streets of Bangalore. Chugging around, weaving through traffic one can’t help but smile at the chaos.
Also I recently wrote about cold showers, that it is not actually a problem and you should still be happy to have one when there is no hot water.
Lance,
I’ve always tried to keep my life simple so I can live deeply. For me the trick is to optimize the stress in my life. Too few challenges doesn’t work either. As I’ve said before, I love those pictures from your trip.
Well put Jean. So true.
This is true… the whole time I was reading this, I felt like I was trying to force my thoughts through the text to share my feelings about it…
I want to add one thing. I can’t quite remember exactly where I learned this, but I heard a man once say “everything you need is inside.” Happiness is something that is already inside you (and potentially everything). Don’t look for things like happiness outside of yourself, or ‘through your intellect’ as John said. Those are actually the very words he wrote that made me want to share this so badly, so I say it again: ‘everything you need is inside.’
Carina,
That deserves another repetition. Thank you for speaking your truth. It is all there, waiting for us to unearth it.
John
Well said!
Which is why I garden and paint all those flowers, especially poppies! Dawn light falling across poppies speaks to the radiance of spirit.
Thanks for sharing…