But the truth is, if we cannot be happy as we are, where we are, chances are we can't be happy anywhere else either. There will always be the other side of the fence where things look better. But our answers and satisfaction are not "over there." And our wholeness is not something to be chased after, but something to be claimed. We are already whole, already perfect. We already have everything we need to be happy.
Sure, we could make changes that might please our sensibilities and our egos, but not permanently. How often have we gone after something we were sure would enrich our lives only to discover that in the end it was not as satisfying as we had hoped? Instead of feeling exhilarated and happy forever, we are left flat and empty yet again.
Good feelings, satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment do not come from "things" or "people" or "situations." Nothing is all good all the time. Everything has its pros and cons. Challenges are built-in to every aspect of our life experience, and yet we let ourselves falsely believe that if we could only find the right combination of circumstances, then we could arrive at happiness once and for all and be able to stay there indefinitely. But it's all relative, and all variable; a big, old mixed-bag of feelings and thoughts; from one side to the other and back again.
The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. It only appears that way to us when we have lost our ability to recognize the beauty and the blessing of what lies right beneath our feet.
I stop trying to figure out the magic combination of life circumstances that will make me happy forever, and focus instead on appreciating the blessings that are already present in my life.
