Our beliefs shape our lives.

This is an undeniable fact.

And, one of our most self-limiting beliefs is that our own happiness resides in something that is separate from ourselves or in the things that we don’t have.

This same false belief tells us that everything that is good in life and our own feelings of self-worth can be achieved through the accumulation of more stuff – more money, fancy cars – or in winning over others at all costs.

This can be a very lonely path.

Think about what happens when you achieve all of these material things that you truly desire?

You want more and more of them.

And you begin to define yourself by the things you have and the status you’ve achieved.

The problem is that it quickly becomes ‘never enough.’

You keep trying to make more money.

You keep buying more things.

You keep doing whatever it takes to succeed over others.

In hopes of feeling happy and trying to feel better about yourself.

The problem is that the happiness you thought you’d feel once you got the money, the cars, the clothes, the status – was fleeting and unfulfilling.

This self-destructive path takes us further and further away from our true happiness.

“We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one’s own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness.” – Dalai Lama

When you look outside yourself to find happiness, your life becomes about forcing instead of allowing.

Living your life by allowing – instead of forcing – is understanding that who we are and how happy we are, is directly related to the quality of our own thoughts, our connection to others, and keeping focused solely on our own path.

Whenever we begin to look toward what others are doing and thinking about getting what others have – jealousy, worry, self-doubt, poor self-image, and sadness begin to infiltrate our lives.

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

Where Can I Find Happiness?

Happiness is a mindset.

And you can literally change your life, just by changing your thoughts.

Here is a simple way to start.

When looking for happiness, look at the small things in life – the things you see every day, but often overlook.

The beautiful sky.

The quietness of the breeze.

Your children laughing.

The feeling you get from doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing with your life.

The joy in giving to others.

Next, understand that the happiness you seek can only be achieved by letting go.

Letting go of the need to compare yourself to others or trying to beat others.

Letting go of the idea that everyone else’s life is perfect and you are the only one that is struggling.

Letting go of the need to accumulate more things.

Finally, realize that all you need to be happy is already inside of YOU!

It has been there all along.

All you have to do is sit in silence, breathe deep, and look inward.

If you can quiet your own self-limiting thoughts and allow happiness to take over your life, you will find the answers to all of your questions.

“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald