healing
The Art of Happiness and Dancing up the Himalayas - March 17, 2010
I ran into a friend today who has been going through a hard time. She said 
something that caught my attention.
"Jen, I'm trying to get over things and not being so angry. Hopefully one day I'll get there," she said.
Deep down inside I felt that I needed to tell her that she can be there this very moment if she wishes. I asked her..."where do you want to get?" Her response was "to a place and time in which I'm happy...I just hope that I get there...and really, I don't know how to begin to get there."
I then explained to her what I have learned through extensive reading, life experience and my yoga practice: The truth is -- rather than looking at happiness and fulfillment as a destination -- we must look at creating happiness and fulfillment in the here and now. From moment to moment. Too many times we perceive our journey to happiness like that of a trek up the Himalayas, as we shoulder a 200 pound pack and fumble along in shoes with holes in them.
We make it so much more difficult than it needs to be. The secret lies in our ability to will ourselves to live moment to moment and free ourselves from the pressure that comes from reaching for our ideal.
Each moment builds on the next, which builds on the next, which builds on the next -- and to maximize each precious second, we need to pour ourselves into making NOW count - be happy now - work hard now - laugh now - play now - and then one day we'll all wake up with constant smiles on our faces. And we can dance our way barefoot up the Himalayas for all we'll care!
This is how we do it -- it begins by accepting the fact that maybe we are already there...just where we need to be...
“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Author unkown
"If my heart can become pure and simple, like that of a child, I think there probably can be no greater happiness than this." -- Kitaro Nishida
"Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response." -- Mildred Barthel
- Jen of Project Be Bold