Being Alert and Aware: The Essence Of Happiness

What is the essence of happiness and why are so many people hopelessly unhappy? My first thought is the growing threats of the pandemic and other social concerns, which seem to hamper our ability to find joy. Others fixate on growing health concerns, financial struggles, and the inability to find a significant other during this pandemic. That can certainly bring your mood down, but can it really impact your ability to find joy? 

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

Defining happiness; The ability to find joy in what you do regardless of what it is. 

Some might wonder how can you find joy in a world full of hate, despair, financial hardship, health concerns, and constant social media bombardment of superficial smiles? Simply be aware of it. Awareness brings a sense of joy and a calming presence in your life when you stop and smell the roses. When you venture off from your path to look at a beautiful painting or spend a quiet afternoon on a walk in your neighborhood. Joy is all around us and it is in the simple things. 

BEING ALERT AND AWARE

How can you be happy, when your attention is not here? Life is complicated and people often lose track of what is important in life. Spending a few minutes each day focusing on your awareness and forgetting the multitasking nonsense that society has instilled in us will help you begin to recognize the joy in the simple things. 

1.    Slow your thought process and focus on your breathing

2.    Bring back awareness of your inner thoughts and the feelings attached to them. 

3.    Recognize and acknowledge your thoughts, and look for small tokens of joy, whether it is in music, art, funny videos, jokes, the company you keep, or just being you. 

4.    Understand that there are two of you inside. The one that looks and the one that observes the looking.  

Awareness Also know as Attention

Society has drained us of our attention, thus also taking away our awareness of our surroundings. I see millions of users on Instagram pretending to be something that they are not with filters, photoshop, and so on. The monetary value placed on appearances has outshined the joy of being. Thus our joy has diminished significantly compared to the '70s, '80s, and '90s. For humans to get back to happiness, society as a whole needs to understand that our awareness is gold. Take back control of your life by spending a few minutes a day just sitting and observing your thoughts, feelings, and everything that enters your mind. When you do that, you will find the essence of happiness and what truly matters for you.