The Paradox of The Pursuit of Happiness

What would make you happy right now?

Perhaps winning the lottery or meeting an old friend? Maybe you would feel the warmth of happiness if you just had a few hours to yourself without interruptions.

What is happiness to you?

When asked, many people have trouble defining what happiness is to them. Is it a feeling? Is it an event? Is it a state of mind?

Defining happiness is hard to state in a way that makes sense to all of us.

That is because happiness to me may be different than happiness to you.

Do you know how happiness feels?

It is an energetic feeling in my body, an attitude of gratitude, and a lightness in my way of being. It isn’t a destination. There is nowhere to get to, from what I have discovered. It turns up when I am not paying attention to it while applying the principles I use to live my life with conscious awareness.

The research found that when we spend time specifically pursuing happiness that we push it away.

That is the paradox of the pursuit of happiness.

Our lives are a journey through which we can experience meaning, satisfaction, and a feeling of well-being. 

Here are some ways to bring more satisfaction into your life:

Gratitude: practice being grateful for all you have.

Be present: When you are present in the moment, you will experience life to the fullest.

Have an Intention:  a life intention is one of the keys to satisfaction because it determines your direction and context.

Take control of your consciousness: In any one day, we operate unconsciously 95% of the time with conditioned programs that are fully operational by the age of seven. Now is the time to learn how to change those programs to live a more fulfilling life.

These strategies will give you more satisfaction than pursuing happiness. You will feel the warmth, excitement, and energy in your soul that I describe as being fulfilled.

Bring some meaning into your life this week.