What Is Happiness?

What is it that everyone is seeking? Happiness with no sorrow. A continuous happiness with no taint whatsoever of sorrow.~Lester Levenson

Happiness is our basic nature.

We rarely find it because we are not in touch with our basic nature. Instead we look for happiness everywhere where it doesn't exist.

The world equates happiness with fulfilling a desire. Yet every goal achieved and every possession finally owned is a fleeting pleasure.

I do appreciate what I have. Yes, I am grateful for it. However, satisfaction and pleasure are not the same as happiness.

Again, one can be loved, even adored, and still not be happy. People, for example, considered Elvis Presley adorable. He was beautiful, talented, and kind-hearted. Yet, he, himself, was not happy.

What, then, is happiness?

Everybody craves it, but few enjoy it. And those that do enjoy it, do so only fleetingly. Seasons pass and what was once considered a source of endless delight fades in its glory.

The closest we can get to happiness is through love. Loving stimulates happiness.

This happiness arises when we give love. It arises because love, too, is our basic nature.

Thus, when we love, we are happy; and we are happy because we are being ourselves, expressing our true nature.

Our true nature is happiness. This is the quality of soul. In fact, soul, in its primal aspect, is a consciousness that is blissful, wise, and powerful beyond measure.

However, we seldom experience our true nature and seldom get in touch with our souls because the limitations of thought shadow the soul the way clouds hide the sun.

It is the task of every person to discover their own soul. This quest is fulfilled through spiritual practices.

As we shed our illusions about the nature of the world and our relationship to it, we become more aware of our own luminosity.

When we give, love, and share, we touch upon the majesty of our soul. We bring it out into the world. We slip out from behind the veil of mind and show ourselves.

One who has stripped away all veneer of thought, all layers of mind, becomes ensouled. When the mind is quiet there is nothing left over but the infinite Self.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his Masters degree in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

---

Health, Wealth, and Love

What is happiness? The dictionary defines it as "a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy."Like many dictionary definitions, this may be... Read More

You are Where You are Because You Decided to be There

The decisions we make everyday have a big impact on where we are in life, both spiritually and physically. Often these decisions are the 'safe' choices. People... Read More

Authentic Happiness

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - how to build positive emotions for extraordinary and happy life.Did you know that you can increase your happiness and life satisfaction?According to Dr. Seligman... Read More

Sunny Days Are Here To Stay

Yes, this is correct. Sunny Days are here to stay, that is, if you want them to be. What's that mean? Well, let me explain it this... Read More

How Do You Define Happiness?

I ran a contest in "Your Daily Dose of Happiness" to see how people define happiness. I was stunned to discover that I am the only person... Read More

Happiness Is Truly M.A.G.I.C.A.L. (TM)

The year is almost half over. Many of us are taking the time to reflect, to imagine new dreams and to revise our goals. Yet, as we... Read More

Divining your Number of Destiny

Your Destiny Number, which describes all of the talents and potentials that are at your disposal in this lifetime, is calculated from the letters that compose your... Read More

Boosting Your Success with Six Easy Happiness Tips

In what areas of your life would you like to achieve greater success? State-of-mind (attitude towards life and work) absolutely affects your performance and your outcomes. People... Read More

Flowers Truly Reach Your Soul

Flowers are a simple, sincere and unobtrusive way to lift our spirits. They can bring a smile to a tired face or brighten up a room for... Read More

The Capacity for Happiness and Respectability

Humans are liable to experience a variety of afflictions, but they are commonly endowed with a capacity for happiness and respectability. There is no guarantee, however, that... Read More

Dont Let Life Happen to You

Don't Let Life Happen To You It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to... Read More

10 Easy Ways You Can Feel Happier, Be Healthier and Live Longer Starting NOW!

Let's just say? first thing when you popped out of bed this morning, you woke up and found a little yellow post-it note stuck on the bathroom... Read More

Happiness Is A State Of Mind, Im Happy... I Think!

You have the power to attract and repel anything in life you want! It's all in your hands. Contentment, happiness, and joy are right around the corner.... Read More

The Gift is in the Giving

I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry. I had shopped and gathered three baskets full together at the check out... Read More

Choose To Be Happy

What if I told you that you have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. You would probably say that I'm crazy. 1. I'm... Read More

10 Ideas to Jump Start Your Self-Confidence

To begin feeling that first spark of self-confidence within you, try as many of these as you like. It's important to enjoy yourself along the way. Have... Read More

How A Psychovirus May Be Destroying Your Life

A pervasive sense of low self-esteem, a feeling of unworthiness, is perhaps the most debilitating belief system that you can entertain.If you feel unworthy, you will destroy... Read More

Happiness - Work Now or Later?

Long-term success and happiness follows hand-in-hand with strength of character.As I mention in my book, Fast Track Your Success and Happiness, If we want to achieve a... Read More

The Golden Moments in Life

This month I'm going to talk about something I've never discussed before. I'll be sharing a technique with you that can help you become a powerful beacon,... Read More

A Bad Hairdresser Day

"Hey everybody!" Hairdresser Lady called out. "It's The Happy Guy.""Don't try buttering me up, Hairdresser Lady," I warned. "It's not going to work.""What's not going to work?"... Read More

King Solomons Mind

"Don't you understand, everything in this life is meaningless," cautioned the old man."Meaningless? Everything? Surely not!" responded the young man in disbelief.Smiling the old man continued, "I... Read More

How To Be Happy

Happiness is a state of mind, so your state of mind at this moment makes all the difference.You need to ask yourself, is it what you want,... Read More

How To Be Outrageously Happy

You can be as happy as you want whenever you want. Zen masters have proven this - all you have to do is just "be" with whatever... Read More

SOLD! Again! Contrast Can Work FOR You

Have you ever had an experience where everything you wanted had come to you and THEN you discovered something that seemed to spoil the entire event?That's what... Read More

Gratitude For Dummies

Yes, it might feel great to win the lottery. Money, houses, travel - these are wonderful, but not enough by themselves. You need the right frame of... Read More

Do You Love Yourelf?

Learning to love yourself isn't easy - especially if you grew up in an environment that involved abuse, neglect, shame or an emotionally dishonest atmosphere. Most people... Read More