Happy Being

"We can't find the peace of silence without stopping.

Running faster and faster, pushing ourselves harder and harder, will never

bring it within our reach.

We won't find it anywhere but HERE.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Often we think that the more we 'do', the more we will be happy. Pushing ourselves, we run from one thing to another, one relationship to another, one event to another; all in the hope of finding something, anything that will make us happy. But of course, even if we catch a small glimpse of happiness from doing something, it's never too long before our busy minds are once again dis-satisfied, and looking for something in the furture that will make us feel complete again. This constant moving, doing, and planning for the future can leave us completly exhausted and feeling even more distant from the peace that we long for.

But what if being happy is not about 'doing' something, and instead about simply 'being' happy right here and now, with the way things are? What happens when we actually bring our awareness right to this moment, look inside, and notice what is happening in the present moment? What we might find, when we slow down enough to look, is that, here and now, everything is pretty good as it is.

If your mind doubts this; take a moment, close your eyes, take a refreshing breath, and bring this question to your mind; 'Here and Now, is there anything lacking?' Not an hour from now, not next year, not when this or that happens, but RIGHT NOW? Is there anything lacking?

You may be surprised to find that, when you're open and present to what is here and now, you find that nothing is ever lacking. By simply being where we are, instead of in our minds thinking about where we wish we were, we find a sense of contentment and peace that is always present and always available. All we have to do is notice.