True and lasting joy and happiness can only be found within yourself. We can all be happy about a new jacket, a new car, a trip, a new house, but it is a fleeting happiness.
Happiness can only come from within. One distinguishes between the small self, what we know as the ego, and the big self, which is your soul also called your higher self. The ego becomes happy with new things or conditions and constantly wants more. It is never completely satisfied, for example, "if I lose 5 kg, then I'll be happy," "when I land that promotion, I'll be happy," "when I get the partner I've dreamed of, I'll be happy," etc. When we continue to chase external things to feel immediate happiness, we keep ourselves in illusion because as soon as the novelty of your new acquisition wears off, so does the feeling of happiness.
Imagine the day you lie on your death bed and look back on the life you have lived. You are unlikely to regret the material things you did not acquire during your life. It will be the close things that matter, such as the relationship with your loved ones - whether you managed to be present and make a difference for the people who meant something to you.
Being present requires that you are in the present moment. When you are present in the moment, all is well. In reality, there is no reason to regret the past or worry about the future because it does not exist. There is only the present. It is only in the present moment that you can connect with your soul. You may know the feeling of being absorbed in something creative, where you completely lose the sense of time and place, a place where you are 100% in flow - that is where life flows, where you are in the present moment and in contact with your soul.
One of my greatest sources of inspiration is Eckhart Tolle, especially his book "A New Earth." Inspiration comes from "in spirit" - in soul. Eckhart Tolle speaks directly to soul consciousness about how we can be present in the moment. He mentions that we should let go of all control and all notions of how we think the world is and let ourselves be captivated in wonder, like a small child seeing something for the first time without knowing what it is. In English, there is a fitting word for this, to be in "awe." One way we can practice this is by going into nature and simply observing the beauty slowly. We tend to take our Earth and everything it offers for granted, but when we are grateful and appreciate it, even in small ways, our hearts are filled with happiness.
To find true happiness requires a willingness to change, a willingness to explore your inner self, and connect with your soul. An inner journey that everyone can undertake and is the best gift you can give yourself - true lasting happiness.
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