Monday, September 16, 2013

The Map to Happiness

Wouldn't it be nice if it existed? The map to happiness?

Many people think they know the way. They have happiness all mapped out in their minds. They say "when I have ___ then I can do ___ and then I will be happy!" Some say that when they have more money they can do more traveling, and then they will be happy. Others say when they have more time they can do more sharing and gathering socially, and then they will be happy. Many say if they had more freedom they could do whatever they wanted and then they would be happy.

That's the problem.

You can't map your way to happiness. You can't do anything to achieve happiness. There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way, as Lau-Tzu eludes to in the Tao Te Ching.

London, Summer 2009

We need to let go of the false perception that happiness is something we will have later. Happiness is something we have to be right now. We have to take that map we've been holding and look at it through the mirror. Inverted. We already are at our destination. We already are happy. And now that we are here, we can do and have whatever we want.

What have you been planning out and mapping out in your head? Success? Freedom? Happiness is not the only desired destination. We can flip those maps too. You want to be rich? Be rich. Then you will do what rich people do, and you will have what rich people have.

Be who you are and you will create the rest. If you focus too much energy on becoming, not much is left for actually creating it.

Be you. Be well. Be kind. Just be. Be now.

*and now smile... a smile is almost inevitably accompanied by a sensation of happiness*

:)