Path to happiness

Happiness is the way

By Ainsworth Thompson | Community Contributor

For many years I battled with myself about what makes me really happy and exactly what happiness is.  To me it seemed that happiness is the main objective of our existence on earth.

When I experience happiness it’s like I am achieving my purpose for being here. A bright and humble energy is emitted from my being, and I gravitate toward situations of peace, love and deeper understanding. My thoughts are clear and I feel balance in all facets of my life.  I envision my future with great optimism – free from fear and worry – and I view my life as glorious, successful, and free. As long as I maintain this state of existence, it seems as if I am achieving my life objective.

For many years I thought that I needed an external stimulus such as a great job, a fancy car or lots of friends to achieve this state of mind. Now I realize that happiness exists within me and I can feel happy all the time by changing the way I think about life.

It became clear to me that whatever I emitted from the inside would manifest itself on the outside. It was not the external stimulus that made me happy. Therefore, I try to maintain a happy state of mind by feeling good about myself and showing compassion to others.

Happiness is a state of existence that can be maintained by simply removing negative thoughts, words and actions from your life and replacing them with positive ones. Practice this and you will live a happy, prosperous, loving and fulfilling life.  In the words of the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn, “There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.”