So what stands between you and your bliss? Is it the woes of everyday life? Maybe it’s an overwhelming financial burden. Could it be a damaged or unfulfilling relationship? Is it worry, or grief, regret, or guilt? Does it seem like life in general isn’t working out like you think it should, or maybe it’s so many things it seems like an insurmountable mountain.
I believe happiness is an option for all of us.
I have a book entitled The Happiness Makeover – How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day. It’s by M.J. Ryan. I’ve had it for a few years, so I should be able to vouch for its content and merit…but I’ve never read the whole thing. It’s well written, not hard reading, and the concepts aren’t too abstract. It’s just that each time I start to read it, I seldom get past the first few chapters before I find I’m once again on the path of happiness, or I find that I haven’t really even been off the path; I feel encouraged and empowered to create my own happiness.
In as much as I’ve read, I know the book addresses (at least in the first part of the book!) a number of common roadblocks in our thinking as to why we aren’t as happy as we could be. Each time I read it, this quote from page six jumps out at me: “I’ve come to understand a few things: first, that the search for happiness is at the root of all human activity throughout the ages; second, that happiness must be experienced in this moment or risk never being felt at all. While we can get nostalgic for the past – oh, I used to be so happy – or wistful about the future – someday I will be happy -- it is now, in this very moment that we must create the only happiness that we can count on.”
Personally, I find that very insightful, motivating, and empowering. Of course that quote by itself doesn’t tell you how to create your happiness. That’s something you have to figure out for yourself. Or, maybe you’ll want to get your own copy of the book* (I assume it’s still in print, and no, I’m not working on commission here). Perhaps it will help you identify and overcome your happiness roadblock(s). In any case, the time to be happy is now.
Just remember, when dealing with that mountain between you and your bliss:
“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
- Chinese proverb
* The Happiness Makeover, Copyright 2005 by M.J. Ryan., published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc., www.broadwaybooks.com, ISBN 0-7679-2007-4
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