Where does happiness come from?
I can tell you it does not come from a bouquet of roses!
This week, I had bought myself a beautiful bouquet of roses and was so busy, this beautiful bunch of flowers sat in my sink for 2 days!
Admittedly, I got so busy this week that my gratitude journaling practice had slowed down to almost a halt and thus began attracting circumstances into my experience that were less than my ideal. We know gratitude changes our lives because as we addressed back in the summer You simply can’t feel grateful and awful at the same time.
But because this practice had halted, my life affected me more, lowering my frequency and my point of attraction. As a result, I had some pretty rough days this week. So upon the eve of one of the worst days, I came home to find the flowers still bathing in my sink and I heroically thought to myself, “Oh the flowers!! The flowers will save the day!”
I was so over joyous in my process of displaying these flowers. I cut open the wrapping ever so precisely. I placed each delicate flower in the crystal vase, one by one. I was sure this would be the pivot I needed! I paraded the vase over to the table and breathed in their delicious scent! The visual and aromatic delight of these flowers was truly unparalleled even on a regular day, but the polarity they offered to this moment made them even more breathtaking.
These flowers were my turnaround.
But one rose was out of place and so I ever so gently moved the rose over and was impaled by one of the biggest thorns I have ever seen. It hurt so badly.
And then I knew….as I was prodding the massive thorn out of my finger… this was my lesson.
Nothing external will ever bring us everlasting joy. It may bring us temporary pleasure but never everlasting joy.
Pleasure feeds our senses. Joy feeds our soul. (More on this next week.)
We can fill our life with people and things that please our senses. But to find true joy, we must find the place within us that emanates joy.
When we do, like attracts like and we attract people and experiences that bring us palpable joy. When we don’t, and we depend on external circumstances to create our joy, we find our happiness rising and falling with the ebb and flow of the external conditions that never remain consistent.
When you are in a place of joy, you attract joyous people and joyous circumstances. But these external attractions are added blessings. It is the whipped cream or the cherry on top.
You are experiencing joy because you are joy, not because of them.
Join me for today’s meditation, How to find your true source of happiness, as we experience this place of joy together that connects you to your inner most source of happiness and guidance. It is in this place within you where you find your happiness and the answers you’ve been seeking.
