We all want to be happy. The question is “how can I be happy?”
Speaking from experience, I asked myself this question a few years ago. I then embarked on a journey to find the answer to this question.
I want to share a few of the things I’ve learned on my journey with you. If you are in pursuit of trying to find happiness as well, I hope this will help you.
1. Setting the foundation
Growing up I made mistakes. I had gotten into trouble and missed out on many opportunities. I would find myself repeatedly reflecting on my past, all of the “what if’s” and “should have’s” would leave me feeling unhappy and discontent with my current situation. With this reflection of the past repeating itself, I would find myself not at all optimistic about the future. I then realized that I needed to make a shift in my thinking.
So I opened my mind to a new way of thinking. I realized that right here and now, regardless of my past, that I could wipe the slate clean, and allowed this to become my foundation to grow from. When we are born, that is the first foundation we grow from, but that day, I decided that I would be born again, with a fresh new start. I decided to embody a mindset that, from this point, I could do anything that I had ever dreamt of and that I could, with work, create any life I desired.
That was a very powerful moment to put the past behind me, and to have a future that felt wide open, and to embrace that the harder I work on my dreams today, the more beautifully the future will create itself. We all need to start with this foundation to be able to grow.
This realization then put all the power in my hands… not in the past, not on anyone else: it was up to me.
2. Judgment and Acceptance
I then embarked on the journey of self-love and self-improvement. When I looked in the mirror, I still held on to anger, guilt, sadness and pain. I had been hurt by people, but I wasn’t innocent myself… I had hurt people as well.
I knew this energy had to be released, and the first way I had found was through forgiveness. I was ready for another big shift in thinking… I first had to forgive everyone who had wronged me and, even harder, I had to forgive myself – for not loving myself enough, and that I had allowed myself to be in situations and relationships with people who hurt me.
Through learning to have forgiveness for myself and others, I was able to, for the first time, fully accept myself in the here and now, and also to find acceptance and understanding for others who had wronged me in the past by finally understanding that they are all on their own journey of learning, as well.
When I combined forgiveness, acceptance and understanding, I got my first glimpse of unconditional love.
3. Unconditional love
With this clean slate I now had for myself and all others, I realized that we are all alike in so many ways. We are all on a journey of learning. We are all on different paths, learning different lessons, all working together. For the first time, I saw life as a beautiful cluster of unique experiences, all working together, all learning lessons together and from each other.
I made a decision to love myself and love my unique journey, and I realized that if I could do this with myself, I could extend that to every human being on earth. I decided that the people with the most challenges, the people expressing anger in their lives, needed even more love in so many ways. That’s when I realized that love is the answer, love is the cure, and I made love my life.
4. Expressing Love
I decided to make love my way of life. To embody it is one thing, but to express it freely is another. In a world of judgment, the free expression of love is not always accepted. I decided from that day on to embody and freely express my love, regardless of how it is perceived.
I used to think love was found in possessions, things I liked, and in intimacy, but through my journey, I realized that is not love. True love, unconditional love, is found in the expression of kindness, compassion, caring, sharing, support and understanding for myself and others.
This unconditional love spawned a huge transformation: I not only fell in love with myself, I fell in love with everyone I met and everyone I knew.
5. Connecting to life itself.
As this unconditional
love was growing inside of me, it spilled outwards into life itself. I started falling in love with mother nature, all the plants and animals. I fell in love with the air, the water, the sky, the stars, the sun, and the moon. I could see love and life all around me. Simply living and being part of the amazement of life was now such a beautiful thing.
I was one with all the energy in the universe. I realized it was all working together and that I was an unlimited, creative soul and the universe was waiting to give me my dreams… all I had to do was step up to the plate and claim them.
The answer to the question “how can I be happy?” It’s all inside you right now, waiting for you to dig deep, do the work and unlock it for yourself. You won’t find true happiness anywhere it’s created within.
6. Becoming your higher self.
I had come a long way on my journey. I had stripped away the need for judgement. I could see everyone as equal and trying their best with the tools they had in life. I cast unconditional love on myself and everyone I met. I feel a universal connection to every living thing around me.
As I raised my vibration higher and higher I realized I am not this body; I am the energy behind this body. I realized that I am an eternal soul, looking through the eyes of this body, as is everyone and everything around me. I realized that when I leave this body, I will still live as a loving soul. I have chosen to live my life as a reflection of my higher self, everyday I choose to expanding more and more into the beauty and grace of this life.
The answer to the question “how can I be happy?” It’s all inside you right now, waiting for you to dig deep and do the work that will unlock it for you. You won’t find true happiness anywhere it’s created within.
Holistic Healer Greg Roberts, Healing Touch Massage, Reiki Energy Healing, Crystal Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching in London, Ontario, Canada.
