The Secret of Happiness

Are you holding your breath, hoping I'll reveal something that you don't already know? Or maybe you're pretty sure that whatever I have to say won't be new, but you're curious to know just what "secret" I'm going to reveal? Well, no matter. Here's the scoop on the secret to happiness. Recently I attended a presentation at my local library and that was the title – The Secret of Happiness. The presenter was a young woman named Kelsang Kunshe. She’s a Kadampa Buddhist nun with a melodic voice, calming presence, and beautiful smile. Did she reveal some new secret to happiness? Nope. She reminded us of the age old wisdom that WE are our own source of happiness. It's easy to forget that nugget of wisdom and instead reach out to other things, people, places, etc. to "bring" us the happiness that we so desperately desire. However, it doesn't work that way does it? At least, it doesn't work that way for long. So what do we do instead? Well, Kelsang's advice is to meditate regularly. We have scientific evidence that a daily meditation practice does indeed increase happiness and our sense of well-being. I love that and I agree wholeheartedly. And here's the interesting link for me – it's all about training your mind. Meditation trains your mind to stay present and to stop resisting 'what is,' whether that's your thoughts or your current circumstances. What I particularly love about this link is that my training as a life coach is founded on this very same principle of training (or retraining) your mind. And it works. You can. I can. We all can retrain our mind to serve us well. We can train our mind to increase our happiness and sense of well-being. How cool is that? Think about the power of retraining your mind toward happiness – from the inside out. The possibilities are endless. Think of all you can achieve in your daily life and in your business if you come from a "secret" well of happiness. What's the bottom line here? What's the take away? If we are the source of our happiness, then let's maximize that! Learn to choose your thoughts (retrain your mind) so that you feel happier and calmer more often and then act in a manner that brings you joy. Every day. No matter what life hands you. Learn to choose your thoughts about your day and your relationships. Learn to choose your thoughts about your business projects and goals. And then choose to act from your inner source of happiness. Let your business be an outward expression of that happiness. I'll leave you with a wonderful thought that Kelsang shared with me after her presentation. It's such a lovely gift that I want to share it with you. I invite you to begin thinking this thought as often as you can - starting now... "I am an unlimited source of happiness!" Yep, YOU are the secret of your happiness. Isn't that a joyful secret? Enjoy!