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Happiness in the NOW - Mindfulness

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The hunt for happiness

Do you remember how your stomach tickled when you bought your first house? Went out with the Lady of your Heart/Prince for the first time?

Our hearts beat faster when something we have been longing for finally becomes reality. Nothing stands between you and ultimate happiness anymore.

The extraordinary becomes commonness

There comes a point where dreams lose its glamour. The new house or friend are still important – but not the priority anymore. The special becomes commonness. It does not happen overnight. It is a creeping development.

Why does happiness not last?

As soon as a need has been fulfilled, it's importance changes. If we are hungry, a good meal is the highest priority. Until we ate. Repetition also kills the appeal of novelty. After a few weeks, the new car of our dreams becomes a commodity.

Wishes come and go. It's part of life. The more relaxed we go about it, the more effortless our life becomes. As soon as we stop believing our happiness depends on the fulfillment of this or that wish, our lives change dramatically. For the better.

Taking your wishes less serious does not mean you get rid of them. It is about looking at the desire and reflecting its importance for your happiness.

After all, once you fulfilled a wish – the next one is already lurking behind the corner.

Perfectly happy does not just happen

For me, happiness includes being grateful for what you have. If you still long for something that is missing, you continue the hunt. The art is to focus on the substantial events in our lives.

With a bit of mindfulness, I start seeing more and more beautiful things in my everyday life. The happiness about a great conversation weights heavier than the anger about heavy traffic on my way home.

Happiness in the NOW
The fewer expectations and wishes you hunt, the more you can appreciate what is there. Happiness is great wealth. That might feel weird at times – after all, we think something is missing for us to be happy.
Do not get me wrong. This is not a pledge to not pursue goals or create the life of your dreams. It is a vow to be self-aware and in the know about what is your dream and what you need to be happy. And guess what? Once you reflect and become aware of your true needs, you will likely strike numerous material wishes from your list.

What do you need for happiness?

We invest a lot of time and energy to achieve our goals. Over time, we feel that what we have accomplished does not make us happy for an extended period. The hunt for happiness can become a never-ending cycle.
But we can break the pattern. First, we have to choose consciously that we do not want to be trapped any longer, like a hamster in a wheel of desires.
Happiness is a source of power that grows from the inside. It takes patience and reflection to find it. We need answers to the following questions:
  • What do I hope to achieve by fulfilling one wish after the other?
  • How does it make me feel to do nothing for two hours?
  • What is missing for me to be perfectly happy?
Again: Do set goals and due pursue and achieve goals. Just make sure you spend your energy on those that matter for your happiness.

Related articles: 
The Neuroscience of Happiness (Why happiness is not a hammock)
Can mindfulness change your brain?
Setting goals or drifting along
Do you want to search or find?

Training:
Project Phoenix Emotional Intelligence

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