Be Bestowed With Happiness

Happiness is not a unique thing. It is one flavor of essence among many.

The happiness you are used to comes and goes. Instead of thinking of this as a well that runs dry, imagine the atmosphere. There’s always humidity in the atmosphere, and sometimes it releases itself as rain. The days when it doesn’t rain haven’t made the humidity go away; it’s always present in the air, waiting to precipitate as conditions change.

You can take the same attitude toward happiness, which is always present in awareness without having to precipitate every moment–it shows itself as conditions change. People are different in their baseline of emotion, and some experience more cheerfulness, optimism, and contentment than others.

This variety expresses the diversity of creation. You can’t expect the desert and the rain forest to behave the same. Yet these alterations in personal makeup are superficial. The same unchanging happiness can be accessed in everyone’s awareness. Don’t use the ups and downs of your personal happiness as a reason for not journeying to the source.

Trying to be happy as an end in itself is limited; you will be fortunate just to meet your ego’s requirements for a happy life. If instead you devote yourself to a total shift in awareness, happiness arrives as a gift freely bestowed by consciousness.

Adapted from The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).

Read more: Deepak Chopra's Tips, Spirit, ego, emotion, happiness

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dale O.

11:06PM PDT on May 14, 2012

To continue with my comment below, so long winded! Almost got it all in!

Happiness is a balance, one has it one day and not the next or a mixture. There are times when it is gone but resurfaces once again like the waves lapping at ones toes on the shoreline, welcome back.

send a green star

11:05PM PDT on May 14, 2012

Happiness comes and goes like depression, sadness, exuberance and all the other emotions in the human journey.

There are some who are clinically depressed or otherwise who must struggle far more to achieve and find happiness, often a long battle climbing and falling into a deep abyss, climbing/struggling but eventually reaching the light with the exception of some who tragically never make it and fall to the deepest depths of the abyss.

Some people as mentioned by others are toxic, so unhappy with their lot that their life goal seems to be dragging down as many others as they can by clutching them with their calcified bony fingers ~ these people are best avoided at all costs.

Some say that God/Christianity is The Answer/The Only Answer, that other faiths are invalid or "Gurus". While still some others state that because of childhood sexual/physical abuse by those purporting to live by the Bible shows that all religious belief/Spiritualism is a sham...missing the point.

Some experience abuse but not all spirituality is abusive while others grow and find self expression in spirituality, there is no either or. One does not cancel out the other and many live a happy medium. People are free to live their lives with/without the spiritual belief, what ever one wishes to follow. No one can judge what is The Ultimate Truth.

Happiness is a balance, one has it one day and not the next or a mixture. There are times when it is gone but resurfaces once again like the wave

Harsha V.

6:56AM PDT on Mar 22, 2012

Inspiring . Thank you!!

Selective C.

2:31AM PDT on Mar 22, 2012

Thank you for todays postings.

Sarah M.

9:01AM PDT on Mar 19, 2012

Thank you.

ii q.

2:08PM PDT on Mar 17, 2012

heather g.

12:47AM PST on Feb 28, 2012

It is unfortunate that I come across one or two unhappy people each day. They often say hurtful things to others because they are so unhappy within themselves. One needs to remove oneself from their toxis company as soon as possible .... There are many things one can respond with - while smiling
I'm often reminded of the Monty Python skit .. referring the person to another room where he can enjoy fighting or arguing there.

Teri I.

9:21AM PST on Feb 26, 2012

I enjoy reading Mr. Chopra's insight's.

Sheleen A.

5:32AM PST on Feb 25, 2012

Very good, thank you