It takes courage to create a life of authentic happiness. If you are not living a life of authentic happiness – a life of joy, gratitude and peace – then you are not creating a life that fully supports you to the highest degree.
Happiness is being in love with life
So how does one describe authentic happiness – that state of joy, gratitude and peace? My answer to that would be that it is like being in love with life. Being so grateful that you are alive, and feeling so passionate about life. It is being in total acceptance of the self and in love with yourself so much so, that the love overflows and pours out to others. That is authentic happiness.
When we are in a state of joy and peace, we are also in a state of gratitude for all of life’s experiences, regardless of whether they were good or bad, because even the bad taught us a lesson. Even financial problems can be viewed as a learning experience. Perhaps we get good advice from a friend, coach or online resource such as lovemoney.com that we successfully apply. Whatever the lesson, the word “life” itself can be looked at as an acronym for “Learn It From Experience”. We can appreciate that the negative experiences have shown us what we don’t want, and be grateful for that revelation.
It’s difficult to see the picture when you are inside the frame
Authentic happiness: achieving this state is easier said than done, especially if there is a tendency to dwell in past experiences. Authentic happiness: the future is the past healed because when the past is not healed, the future is dictated by that past. If we are to find joy and peace, then it is necessary to heal past negative emotions. However, before we heal, we have to deal with all that our mind holds as negative emotions.
The key is to be in the “now”
Since emotions are energy in motion, then the key to joy is not to resist any painful emotions, but to look at them only as experiences. When a painful memory surfaces, look around you and notice what you see, be it a tree, a car, or a building that is in your now moment. Then take the time to acknowledge that memory, and give yourself compassion. Embrace and feel it fully, and finally, allow the energy of that experience to be released. The more we can do this, the more we will be connected to life in the now moment…the essence of authentic happiness.
Most people are as happy as they choose to be
My favorite mantra which immediately brings me back to the now moment is, “We are here, we are fine, and we are fabulous”. I use the word “we” to mean the totality of ourselves – body, mind, and spirit. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most folks are as happy as they decide to be“. That’s the key to authentic happiness!
Lisa Lorenzon
Yoga Teacher and Life Coach
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