The Three Keys To Happiness

"Life pretty much comes down to just three things:

Everything changes.

Everything is connected.

Pay attention!"

Jane Hirshfield

It can be a very powerful exercise to ask ourselves, "What do I actually know is true in my life?" I'm not speaking here of what you believe, or some theory that you have that might be true. I'm talking about what is actually true, as in, it will be the truth a million years from now as much as it is the truth right now. If all of the sages and spiritual masters are correct when they say, 'The truth shall set you free', then asking this question just might be the ticket to discovering the freedom we long for. In my own experience, after I had been a 'spiritual seeker' for three decades, the above question came to me like a bolt of lightening, and it led to the discovery that, what I actually knew was the truth could be boiled down into just three things.

I call these the Three Keys to Happiness, because the acknowledgement of these truths led me to the freedom and ease that I had been longing for my whole life. Please note again that; these are not beliefs or theories. There's nothing wrong with beliefs or theories, but they are markedly different than the truth, and they will certainly not lead you to the peace and joy that you may be longing for in your life. As I noted before; only the Truth will set you free, so you may wish to spend a little time contemplating what you actually know is the truth in your own life.

So here now, are the Three Keys to Happiness:

Truth #1. You Are Not Your Mind. This is the single most vital and important Truth that you will ever hear: no matter how much you may believe otherwise, you are not, nor will you ever be, the voice in your head. You are, and always will be, the Awake-Awareness that is observing and listening to the mind. This open, sky-like Awareness is who we are beyond the constant stream of mental activity - That which is simply observing and listening to the mind. To live from, and as this Awareness, is the point of all spiritual practices and teachings, and is the only thing that will bring the freedom and joy that our heart longs for.

Truth #2. Your Whole Life Will Unfold in the Here and Now. Let this really sink in: there has never been, nor will there ever be, a time when you will not be in the Now. Though you may spend most of your time worrying about the future or obsessing about the past, the truth is, you will never spend one moment of your life actually living in either of those mind-made locations. The present moment is the only space in which you will ever be alive, so why not open your eyes, come to your senses, and actually see what is right in front of you now, and embrace the gift of this moment; of your life, as it is?

Truth #3. Everything Changes and Ends. Within the space of the Here and Now, everything is constantly changing. If we are honest; nothing stays the same for very long, no matter how hard we may try to make it otherwise. Peace and contentment arise when we completely accept this Truth, and flow with the changes that occur, rather than fighting and resisting them. When we stop clinging to what is passing from our lives, and instead let go, we are able to open up our hands and receive the new blessings that are always flowing to us from the Tao.