Happiness

The undisputed access to happiness is the ability to be here now.  Simple enough?  No.  Our brains are wired to constantly judge and evaluate the now with what was, or what should be. No wonder the hardest spiritual practices are ones of gaining access to be here now.  Meditation, prayer, sitting quietly, all sounds so easy, but not really or we would all do it everyday. 

What these practices provide is not the 'answer' to everything, but a simple access to what has been called 'the one watching, or the one hearing the thoughts'.

Gaining access to hearing that voice as if it is your arm or hand, it is a part of you but not all of you.  We tend to listen to that voice as 'the conveyor of all news that is worthy and right'.  Maybe not.  But being against that voice doesn't work either.  Befriending that voice, the voice of judgement, criticism, worry, doubt and triggers is a path to happiness.  

The first step on the path is to bring yourself to the moment, especially the moments you want to check out, drop out and tune out.  The moments when you are triggered, upset and frustrated,  those are the times to bring yourself (the listener) to the present.  It won't have you do anything differently right away, you may still say silly things, or eat too much, or drink too much, but it brings a consciousness to the moments where you usually go south.  That's where the real access to happiness begins. You aren't trying to force yourself and others to be something you are not, you are a human being with triggers, upsets, concerns, worries, doubts and ego trips.  But it puts you on a path of self-expression, strength and fulfillment that gives not only you, but all around you freedom.