The Key to Happiness

So many of my readings focus on people who are unhappy -- with their jobs, spouses, family, friends, life choices.  And often what I see for them is that these situations aren't changing.  Sometimes I see positive changes coming to people, but more often than not I see them in that same situation for a bit longer than they want until a certain life lesson is learned.  But, there is a way to sustain happiness even through these moments of stagnation, regret and disappointment.

Do you want to know the secret to fulfillment and happiness?

Get the spotlight off yourself and focus it on someone else.  Service.  Giving.  It's the only way to true joy.

Every day try to do something for someone else -- try to give back in little and big ways.  Call a friend and just listen.  Don't interject your opinion, your own story, your problems.  Just listen.  Drop a box of chocolates or a plant to someone who helped you in some way.  Send an anonymous angel card to a random person in the phone book.  When you're making dinner one night this week, double the recipe and give it to a friend who's busy. Pick out a funny card at the card store and send it to your sister just because.  Go to the grocery store and buy everything that says Buy One Get One Free and donate the "free" items to your local food shelter.  When you're meditating or saying your prayers, focus on sending light and love to someone else -- not yourself.

I did a reading a few weeks ago for a woman who wanted to know when she was going to fall in love.  Her dad came through with a lot of good validations, a few funny jokes about memories they shared and lots of love.  This woman said, "Yep, that's him.  So do you see a man coming into my life before the summer ends?"  I was shocked and a bit appalled that this woman's father had gone through so much effort and energy to communicate with her and all she cared about was her new love interest.  What has happened to us that we've gotten so off track in our lives that we can't see the truly important things anymore?  Another man came to me for a reading not too long ago wanting to know when he was going to die.  He was unhappy in his marriage, his job was boring and his children didn't appreciate him, so he was ready to pack it in and move on to other realms.  Really?  Let's talk to a terminal patient and see if he'd like to change places.

Focusing only on ourselves, our happiness, our wants, is the surest way to sadness, disappointment and depression.

This life we're living isn't about us -- it's about serving our higher power by serving others.  Our only job is to see God in everyone we meet and treat them as such.  Whether or not we're happy is superfluous.