Discovering Happiness from Nothing

If you grew up in America, the media and society has done a tremendous job of convincing us that the more we have, the better it is. With a sturdy sledge hammer and a gentle smile, I'd like to break that barrier.

We all know the saying "Quality over Quantity", but rarely do we take the time to consider what kind of actions we took part in, until we step outside ourselves and observe what we've produced. When we don't watch ourselves, we're on auto pilot and continuously fantasize and convince ourselves that the grass is greener on the other side.

Examples.

• Sleeping around with hundreds of people in search for the next hottest person, or finding that one special person to share the rest of your life with, knowing that everyone grows old, and gaze into their beautiful soul, and still make you feel like you've only just met them yesterday.

• Generating high income with a job that controls every aspect of your life in clinging desperation, or finding that one job that creates a sense of meaning of waking up in the morning and saying "I can't believe I get paid doing what I love!"

• Gaining over thousands of friends that you are uncomfortable letting go to be yourself, or having just that one good friend who's irreplaceable because they understand you, and loves you for being just you.

It is very easy for us to act on impulse that was created through subconscious programming; that's why it's called television programs.

Do you really need 6 different pairs of jeans to make you happy? Do you really need 4 different cars? 3 homes? More stuff to keep more stuff? Will that really make you happy?

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions"

-Dalai Lama

You only have one butt to put on jeans, one butt to sit in a car, and one butt to live in a home! Instead of being brain washed by decorative advertisements informing you that you need to purchase their stuff in order to be happy just like their other satisfied customers, realize that they are all temporary happiness.

But once we decide "ok, what do I really want?" "what is more important to me?" "what will make me happy?" then you can uncover what you truly desire; but rarely do people take the time to actually think about it!

In conclusion, you don't need additional things to make you happy, and you can't make everyone like you, because even God can't make everyone like him!

Love yourself, and love others, even if they wear the same set of clothing everyday like Steve Jobs or Buddhist monks, and find joy in simple things in life.

Although I've digressed a bit...

Removing everything the media has told us what we need to feel good about ourselves, if I were to ask you right at this moment "What would truly make you happy?" what would you tell me?

Source:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/9533293701/">woodleywonderworks</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>