Happiness

Wow what a year 2011 was, it really did feel like a prelude into an exciting new phase for me. 

2011 was one of the most difficult yet beautiful, enriching and happiest experiences of my life. There is nothing better to walk ones talk whilst dancing to the beat of your own drum. 

The best and greatest awareness I received was to 'know' what happiness is.

Knowing is far greater than any understanding and I am thankful that 2011 brought forth an opening to true authentic happiness.

So what is happiness?

Dr Robert Holden’s (The happiness project) studies reveal that the only thing people choose over happiness is authenticity. So there is a clue here; by being authentic is to become happy.

But what is it to be truly authentic?

Is it merely to be honest or truthful? This is not what we are talking about here but this element is carried through into authenticity. It is far greater than just being honest and truthful for authenticity encompasses love.

To find our authenticity is often a journey, a slow dawning of releasing limiting ideas and concepts held by us. This may seem daunting, yet there is a quick route to locating our authenticity in any given moment. This fast track route is the basis of my work. I help my clients make breakthroughs to release their old limiting selves to access their authentic selves.

The quickest way is to our authenticity (thus happiness) is to connect with our highest joys and pleasures in life. I’m not talking hedonism here, I’m talking about the soulful kind of joy, the things that make our hearts sing, those things that we find inspirational and make us feel alive. The kind of joy I’m talking about inspires others and leaves no trace of guilt or shame behind; it ultimately brings us and others around us a sense of true happiness.

The biggest issue I have found with my clients is in believing that joy, pleasure and happiness is ones right. Most of us tell ourselves a ‘story’ that suffering to some degree is noble and epitomises goodness. We so often believe that life should be a struggle, and that life needs to be hard work to get anywhere. Our­­ culture even worships those that have suffered greatly. This is part of the myth and reason why most of us hold this subconscious belief and act it out.

But the truth is far gentler then that, the truth is that our authenticity is our highest nature (and our purest nature) and happiness comes from allowing our greatest pleasures and soulful joys to be the pathway to how we live out our lives. In pursuing our highest nature and moving out of old paradigm beliefs that have caused us suffering we release ourselves to explore our more pure state. HAPPINESS=LOVE

I work with individuals using several powerful techniques to release old beliefs to access their highest expression and authenticity. Each technique are pathways to shed old beliefs to reveal what is already there and that which has been waiting to be revealed and  the only thing on offer is life altering happiness.

For instance believing we should be sensible and do a job that is ‘seemingly’ more likely to offer continuous employment, even though our greatest love and deepest pleasure maybe music, can cause great suffering. Most of us pursue an amount of suffering by believing similar ‘ideas, concepts and stories’ and not living out our authentic nature. Most of us hold a subconscious belief that happiness will be ours after working for it and striving for it. But nothing can be further from the truth; life can be a beautiful, natural and effortless unfolding when we access happiness in the now.

Many of you may be still left wondering what is my authentic nature? You may be thinking that you have no idea what your highest expression is.  And that’s ok. Some of us have never allowed ourselves to really look into ourselves with this probing question.  But this article hasn’t just fallen into your lap for no good reason; you are reading it right here and now because you have called in this awakening. You are powerful beyond belief. You are obviously now ready to ask yourself this very question.

Ask yourself, what would I do if I had no limitations? Consider this question as if nothing was holding you back and if all of life was on offer to you, money was no barrier and all ‘matters’ become no problem at all. Believe for even a moment that you had all the support in the world. What would you choose?

If nothing comes straight away, allow this question to just rest in your consciousness, contemplating it over days and even weeks.

Your answer offers you a glimpse into your highest nature.

Ask yourself who can resist a totally inspired individual living out their unique truth?

One of my favourite quotes comes to mind:

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Really contemplate this quote. Imagine’ a world where we each lived out our highest joy.

It may very well be true that not everyone can be a famous musician but there are plenty of other avenues to experience ones greatest joy. It is a matter of personal enquiry to find our unique path for our authentic expression. This is where guidance from someone like myself, a coach, counsellor and or beginning a meditative practice is useful.

Meditation is a practice that many baulk at, believing they can’t do it. Another ‘story’. How can I not think some may ask? But meditation is not about ‘Not thinking’. Meditation really is:

1.       About allowing stillness. You start by stilling the body and closing the eyes

2.       The mind then starts to relax a little

3.       Allowing thoughts to rise to the surface

4.       Releasing the thoughts, as they arise, not holding on to them. Letting them float away.

This is the beginning of Meditation. And as we practice this method within weeks and sometimes sooner we will notice that the space between each thought grows. This is when meditation is begins to gain strength. The more we practice the greater the distance between each chattering thought. And it is between each of these thoughts where inspiration (our highest self) surfaces.

Inspiration is recognised as clarity, ideas that bubble up between the normal mind chatter. Inspiration stands out as it leaves us feeling wonderful and clear. Inspiration never leaves us feeling worried or anxious; it lifts us up and leaves us inspired.

The more time spent in ‘inspiration’ the quicker we are to find the key to our authentic self.

Who are we when we have let go of negative, guilt ridden angry or worrisome thoughts about ourselves and others? We are light, joyful, relaxed and loving. Free.

So now that we are connecting to our highest most authentic self through the practice of meditation or any number of other methods we find that we connect naturally with more and more episodes of happiness. You find that happiness is not even about doing, it is all about being. So being authentic brings happiness.

If you are like the example before, you may find yourself playing more music, singing more, being more in focus in on your particular expression of music. And as you do you allow yourself to integrate more completely, exuding more and more happiness.

It then becomes a natural turn of events that you will attract likeminded new friends or your group. When we are integrated and radiate love and joy out we naturally attract the perfect group of people that reflect back to us our newer, more joyful happy selves. And when we associate with happy people we are more likely to continue to choose happiness.

When we connect with others who share our values and beliefs, we automatically feel understood and in turn loved and appreciated. Like the guitar player that began alone, playing joyfully until this became known within as the highest joy, then this individual begins to share their joy more openly, bringing forward natural connections with others who share this same sense in music. Together they join a band, collectively making music that without the others could not be. The music becomes something far greater than each unique individual could create; it is a joyful magical collaboration that can only be achieved in co-creating with others. Something much larger than ourselves can be achieved when our joys are shared.  A shared joy is multiplied happiness.

Once we find our place in the world through connecting to our authenticity and then begin sharing openly our highest expression we find that in our sharing and receiving, in the co-creating with others that what we are actually doing is making ‘love’.  And here lies the truth about happiness. Happiness is sharing and being love.

Authenticity =Happiness =Pure uninterrupted Love.