Are you really happy?

I ask this not because I doubt whether or not you have much joy in your life. Rather, I believe it is important to check in with ourselves to see a) if we are happy or not and b) if we are happy for the right reasons.
It is okay to have all the extras in life that accentuate our happiness and enjoyment of life. I like them myself. Do they mask more sinister feelings? Are “things” used to bandage negativity? Can you stand being alone in your own presence and be comfortable with “you”? These are extremely important questions I began asking myself several years ago and what i discovered was a broken man who had the meaning of happiness all mixed up. I had to change so I embarked on a personal journey to discover the ingredients I would need to produce true, lasting happiness.
There are just a few components of happiness when incorporated together in my life, have produced delectable combinations of joy and happiness. First, I had to realize that I new very little about what really makes me happy. I had to surrender to the fact that what I was doing to bring joy to my life just wasn’t appropriate.
Next, I had to attune my mind and soul to what my inner, spiritual self was saying and commit to the guidance from that source. Some call it God while others name it many other names. This is the lynchpin of this process and true happiness cannot be obtained unless the individual accepts the guidance of this omnipotent and omnipresent force.
After I was ready to learn the teacher appeared and began a crash course on dealing with myself and others. The more I took care of my side of the street, the more I became willing to extend my hand to others. This was a crucial yet important move for me to make and was an important as fuel for my newly discovered happiness. I did not necessarily have to achieve a certain level of insight into myself to be of service to others. In fact, service to others was exactly what I need to become a more thoughtful, happy human being.
Service to others does not need to be expensive or time consuming. Granted, the more time you spend helping/encouraging other people, the greater your spiritual reward. Service can take the form of a friendly smile to a stranger or helping an elderly man or woman with their groceries. It can also entail large donations of time and money to a cause you hold dear to your heart.
Whatever you choose to do to help others, you will be rewarded. We should not, however, always look for the rewards we should or will receive from our service. I have learned that the good feeling in my heart and soul for making someone’s day is priceless. I have gotten to the point where I enjoy helping others regardless of what I think is in it for me.

Good morning everybody! Well, maybe it's good evening or good night for some. I wanted to wish all a Happy Holiday season and hope yours is filled with much joy and happiness. My thoughts are with all of you and I want only for  you to have the Holiday cheer today. May the remaining 364 days of the upcoming year be full of goodness and grace for all of you.

If you are not in a good spot this holiday season, my hope is that your tomorrow is less hectic and painful as today. There is a force for good in this world and I like to call it the Great Spirit. He (she or it) can do the impossible. You are not forgotten. Just continue to shine the light of the Great Spirit from within and take refuge in knowing that, no matter what hardship you have to face, your reward will be great.

I have experienced personal suffering and suffering at the hands of others and know how painful it can be. I never lost faith that something good would come out of my struggles. When I began listening to the voice of the Great Spirit within my soul (or gut), answers came like others told me they would. Whenever respect, love, and compassion are lacking or non-existent outside of you, go to that quiet place within and listen intently. There you will find peace and harmony with you and your creator. With this special bond and friendship, you can be reasonably happy in any situation and combat the ills and evilness that comes your way.

Sometimes we associate with the wrong people for years and do not realize they are the problem until the Great Spirit gives us a wake-up call. Sometimes he has to rattle us a bit so that we focus our attention on his will.

There are other times, through relentless pursuit of self, that we may paint our self in a corner and become angry, resentful, unhappy, or any other myriad of negative emotions. The solution to this is also seeking a better way to interact with the life. We can affect change provided that we do not live our lives solely based on what we can get out of it. By focusing on what we can put into it along with taking out of it, we are amazed of the changes in our outlook. Taking time to help someone in any way is well worth the slice of time it takes from the pursuit of our activities. I challenge all of you, despite how you feel at the moment, to do something kind for someone else. The payoff may not have any monetary value. Instead, it will have spiritual value that the Great Spirit can use to comfort you in times of struggle. It is like putting money in the spiritual bank. The rewarding feelings obtained from random acts of kindness will always be available to help you in a time of need.

I will keep all of you close to my heart this holiday season and beyond. One thing you can count on is that I will never forget the pain I have been through and will thus continue to hold you in my thoughts and soul.