12. Happiness Lies Within

We all have a perfect life long dream- the pursuit of happiness. No matter how hard we chase it remains elusive.

Understand this! We are not chasing life we are chasing a lifestyle. The two are not the same. We design our lifestyle. We continuously ask and seek attention from other people. We feel that we are happy or we enter into an expansive mood as long as other people give us attention. We derive our energy from the attention others bestow upon us.

In fact, if we analyze our life calmly it seems to be a series of certificates we collect from people. We need someone to tell us that we are great son or daughter. We want someone to tell us that we are good friends, we want another person to acknowledge that we are beautiful and so on. We are constantly doing things for others so that they notice us. The more certificates we receive the better we feel. Be Clear! This is our choice for a lifestyle.

We can turn away from lifestyle and turn our focus solely on life. When we are based on life we will get deep satisfaction by what we do, not by what others say. It requires time to be alone; to inquire and hold a dialog with the person with in us. When we get to know ourself and value our own opinion of ourself, we will be living for life itself . We will not be living for the sake of lifestyle.

We do many things in life for other people's approval. Sometimes, we also refrain from doing something because others may not approve. We stop doing what we wish to do in the end. We do what others want us to do. We do not do what we are passionate about. Are we chasing happiness by following these rules? No! We start living life for others. We are not living for our own sake.

Lifestyle is all about belonging to a crowd, pleasing others, and being popular. Living our life is about developing a strong foundation of self-esteem. It is about knowing what our capabilities are and what we wish to achieve. It is about realizing that we do not have to dance to any one's tunes to be happy in our life.

Understand this mindset! Break out of this lifestyle trap. Bliss, the highest form of happiness is within all of us. Following what we are genuinely passionate about, without caring what others may think of us, provides a better chance of finding true happiness.