Happiness is not about the fulfillment of desires: it's about honoring your heart along the way.
A client often winds up in my office because life didn’t go his or her way. They are actually in a rich place, rich with opportunity for learning, healing and growth but their focus is on what they don’t have the power to change, which can only serve to throw them into feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and despair.
Despair appears to be a far cry from happiness but is it? Turning the client's focus toward what they do have the power to change serves to energize, enlighten and empower them. Not to avoid their feelings but to know that opportunity is on the other side of them. This transformational shift of focus from victim to opportunist leaves the client happy to know that there is another way to view and address their circumstances.
Whatever your pursuit—relationship, career, health, project—rather than 'hope' for happiness, you can choose to feel your feelings along the way as an opportunity to get to know yourself better--as an opportunity to learn, to heal and to grow. For example, if you detect fear, ask yourself, “What am I fearing?” “Why?” “Am I expecting a repeat performance of my past history?” Maybe there is something you didn’t have the maturity to learn back then but are happy to know that by re-visiting, could help you now. (One of many examples of this is described in chapter 2 of my book, Why Me? Why Now? Why Not? Annalee's story is also published as part of the article, How To Tell The Truth About Love in the spring issue of Spirit of Change magazine.)
When we honor our hearts along the way toward any pursuit, happiness is by choice not by chance.
Friends in this Love,
Dr. Trish
