SEEKING HAPPINESS

Every human being seeks happiness. He hates pain. He moves heaven and earth to get the happiness he wants from sensual objects and gets himself entangled in the meshes of Maya. But these objects are perishable, finite and conditioned in time, space and causation. Chances are he may fail to get the desired happiness from them.

Sensual pleasure is tantalising. There is enchantment so long as man does not possess the objects. The moment he is in possession of the object, the charm vanishes. He finds that he is in entanglement.

A worldly man is always struggling to get something, some money, some power, some position and so on. He is always anxious as to whether or not he will get it. Even when he is in actual possession of the thing he he so passionately longed for, he gets anxious about loosing it. Who do we say is happy then? A man who has controlled his mind is happy.

Happiness comes from peace of mind. Peace of mind comes from a state where there are no desires, no thoughts of objects. Forget all ideas of pleasures before entering the domain of peace.There is no happiness in any of the objects of the world because they are inanimate. It is sheer ignorance to think that we derive pleasure from the sense-objects or from the mind.

Real happiness is within you. It is in the Atma. It is subjective. It manifests when the mind is concentrated. When the mind is withdrawn from from the objects outside, when it is one-pointed when you become desireless and thoughtless, Atmic Bliss begins to dawn and Spiritual Ananda begins to thrill.

DREAMS

What would it take to make you really happy? Being a huge financial successor or having the biggest house in town or owning a private jet? That's what others tell us is the key to happiness. Well, most of us may not agree with this.

Unless you have some innate, personal love of a big house or helicopters, don't let yourself buy into someone else's idea of a good life. If you do, you're in for a big letdown. Because no one but you has any idea what will make you happy.

What you love is as unique to you as your fingerprints. Nothing will make you really happy but doing what you love. Just look at people who are actually living their dreams. You can see a calm focus in their eyes and patience in their actions. They know they're in the right place, doing the right thing.

Somewhere inside yourself you know what you love, too. You dream of starting your own business, or traveling the world, or finding the right mate; you wish you could ride the horses on your own ranch, or go diving off the Great Barrier Reef with a fabulous underwater camera.

Or maybe you don't know exactly what your dreams are, but you can sense them somewhere deep within you. Even when they are not defined, they're not far away. Dreams are almost impossible to get rid of. They keep reminding you that that you're not satisfied with your life, that something crucial is missing.

And that's very lucky for you. If your dreams didn't trouble you, you'd forget them entirely. That's what you were trained to do. Most of us were told that we'd have to make daunting sacrifices to go after what we love. Whenever we dream out loud, we're criticized for being foolish by people who really have no idea how special we are. As a result, we crush our dreams without giving them half a chance.

THE WAY WE THINK

Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are our decisions, desires, wishes i.e. our own thoughts and actions. Things not in our control are the thoughts and actions of others.

If we remember what is in our control and what not then no one will trouble or threaten us. Also we will do nothing that brings us pain. No one will hurt us or we will have no enemies.

Try to say to every difficult event that it is but an appearance and not really the thing it seems to be. Then you ask yourself,"Is this in our my control or not?" If not then do not think about it anymore.

In regards to things that you find useful or we deeply love, remember to remind yourself of their nature. Begin with the most insignificant things. If you are fond of a specific cup, remind yourself that it is just a cup. If it breaks, you will not be disturbed for you have remembered its true nature. Similarly if you kiss your beloved ones remember that you are only kissing their bodies and that you will not be apart from them if someone dies. In this way you will remember their true nature.

We aren't disturbed by things that happen, but by the interpretations of these things. Death is not terrible but the terror we feel towards death that is terrible. Therefore, when we are disturbed or upset let us not blame others. Don't demand that events happen as you wish, but wish for them to happen as they do and you will be happy.

BEING HAPPY

Human beings are thinking creatures. Every moment of each day our minds are working to make sense out of what we see and experience. While this may seem obvious, it is one of the least understood principles in our psychological makeup. Yet understanding the nature of thought is the foundation to living a fully functional and happy life.

Thinking is a function of human consciousness. No one knows exactly where thought comes from. We can however say that thoughts come from the same place as whatever it is that beats our heart-it comes from being alive. Thinking goes on whether we want it or not. Thought is an impersonal element of our existence.

Every negative and positive feeling is a direct result of thought. It is impossible to have jealous feeling without jealous thoughts, to feel angry without having angry thoughts. And it is impossible to be depressed without having depressing thoughts. This seems obvious, but if it were better understood we would all be happier and live in a happier world.

We have been taught that thinking means sitting down to ponder, to put in time and effort. Thinking about something can occur over several days or within a passing second. We tend to dismiss the latter as unimportant. But it is not so. Feelings follow and respond to a thought regardless of how much time the thought takes.
Thinking that a sibling got more attention than you did shows your resentment towards your brother or sister. These thoughts or sentiments also make you unhappy without your knowledge. Being happy or unhappy is a function of your thoughts.

WEALTH

There are several forms of wealth which when attained can raise you to world class levels before you call yourself rich.
Inner Wealth: This includes a positive mindset, high self respect, internal peace and a strong spiritual connection.
Physical Wealth: Health is wealth. There is no point in reaching your a great place in your career if u get sick doing it. Why be the best businessperson in the hospital ward or the richest person in the graveyard?
Family and Social Wealth: When your family is happy you will perform better. No one regrets making their family their first priority. It is also imperative to have deep connections with friends and members of your personal community.
Career Wealth: Actualisation your highest potential by reaching for your best in your career is incredibly important. Getting to greatness in your profession brings a feeling of satisfaction on a job well done. Being world class in your work is good for your self respect.
Economic Wealth: Money may not be the most important thing in life but very important. It absolutely makes life easier and better. Money allows you to live in a nice home, take beautiful vacations and provide well for those you love. The more you make the more you can give away.
Adventure Wealth: Each of us needs mystery in our life. Challenge is necessary for happiness. The human brain craves novelty. Lots of adventure (meeting new people, visiting less frequented destinations) is an essential element of authentic wealth.