LASTING HAPPINESS REQUIRES A NEW STRATEGY.
What is the alternative to utilizing temporary pleasure for comfort? How can we choose lasting happiness instead? Long lasting happiness comes from experiencing inner peace and joy. By choosing this alternative we enrich our life! It comes from prioritizing these experiences in life! That can become our new life path.
We simply make choices that will maintain a high vibe. This results in more joy and inner peace. We can choose to live that way! We can work out how to do this. We have a lifetime to get this right.
LASTING HAPPINESS ACCUMULATES OVER TIME.
Unlike temporary pleasures, these lasting qualities can accumulate. They build a feeling of contentment and lasting happiness. This state does not readily diminish in intensity or effect. It accumulates instead!
Experiencing joy is quite different to seeking temporary relief through pleasure. To choose joy and contentment, we often need a change of direction in life. We need a new attitude with new priorities. We raise our awareness in this regard and choose a path of inner peace & joy.
We make this choice towards lasting happiness in our mind, at every moment. To help us do this, we need to clearly distinguish between pleasure and behavior that brings permanent joy. We might then need to review our lifestyle. We will probably need to undo some old habits and past conditioning.
…Can you see the difference between temporary pleasure and lasting joy?
OUR SOCIAL GROUP OFFERS A LIMITED STRATEGY.
Our social conditioning encourages compensatory behavior rather than addressing the core issue. Others in our social circle also seem to be suffering, so it seems acceptable to try the same strategies. Often, we model the coping strategies of our peers!
Following these group norms helps us bond to our local community. In return this gives us a feeling of safety & belonging. This partially helps us cope with our dissatisfaction & low-grade suffering. We also use socially acceptable temporary ‘band-aid’ measures. We seek our solace with the accepted way of doing things.
The broader community offers a wider range of temporary aids to choose from. You might guess what these are, and we will discuss these shortly. But basically, they either distract us, or offer temporary relief. These strategies temporarily ease our low-grade dissatisfaction. But they don't address the underlying cause or core issues. Plus, they don't build joy or inner peace. So, there is no lasting happiness.
FAME & FORTUNE DOES NOT SATISFY LONG-TERM.
We might wonder why we feel so dissatisfied! Perhaps we have the education we wanted and even a good job. We might even have a steady relationship or an enviable lifestyle. Eventually we may achieve considerable wealth, authority, or influence.
But despite all our worldly success, we can still feel discontent. We are not really satisfied within. We feel empty inside. We don't really feel content or at peace. We don't feel whole or fulfilled! All our material achievements have not brought us peace of mind and the wholeness we yearn for.
Some people attain enormous power, wealth or acclaim. But this does not seem to be enough! Even that doesn’t satisfy their powerful inner need for completion & fulfillment! In fact, rich & famous people often feel the most miserable. They feel they have little left to aspire to! They also fear losing their wealth, fame, or their control or influence over others. Finally, the personal cost of maintaining that powerful dominance becomes too great. A life crisis will inevitably ensue!
WE THINK HAPPINESS IS AROUND THE CORNER!
Many believe that if we work harder, or smarter, we will be happier. We promise ourselves this happiness will happen soon. We convince ourselves that happiness will surely come after that next pay rise, or with that new car, or a better home. Or when we finally meet that special person or have a family. We think that then we will finally be happy! This is the way most of us live. It’s what so many have been conditioned to believe.
But lasting happiness never comes from material and worldly pursuits. These can never produce a state of joy, inner peace or fulfillment. We can only distract ourselves temporarily by pursuing these material goals. Instead, we should address our true inner nature, and our deep needs.
…Are you relying on material pursuits for your happiness?
DISSATISFACTION SIGNALS WE ARE OFF-TRACK.
Our unease or discontent is an important sign of inner suffering. This is an early warning signal to us! It means we are not on the right track. It indicates of a lack of well-being and potential future disorder. We shouldn’t suppress these important warning signals! Sadly, however, most of us don’t recognize them, let alone respond appropriately.
We have an inner guidance system or ‘inner voice’ that can help us. Will can tune in and acknowledge this. That 'quiet voice’ is from our true inner self! If we tune-in and listen, this inner guidance will show us the way.
WE YEARN TO FULFIL OUR LIFE PURPOSE.
We have a primal urge for self-expression, fulfillment & wholeness. But usually, we have held back these inner needs. These quiet but important inner drives cannot be ignored without consequences. This buildup of pressure is waiting to be released. It wants to flow towards some new creative endeavor.
Our inner nature wants to run free! We want to express our talents, creativity and unique potential. Inwardly we yearn for this new way of living.