The Secret to Happiness

I have always wondered what the secret was to happiness. I guessed it was not one thing, but a multitude of things and these changed with age. What delights and excites us as children will not always remain the same when we are teenagers or adults. Though some things should stay the same. The sheer fun of experiencing something, taking delight in the small things, and always having your priorities in the forefront of your mind.

When I say priorities, I am not talking about jobs, chores, bills. They should be things you do to ensure there is minimal interruption to your free time, to your time, which should be spent doing the things you love with the people you love.

Balance, now that's a word that gets thrown around allot. It's a misleading word, it instantly conjures up an image for me of a set of scales delicately balanced at either end. Life isn't split into two entities. It has many fractions which are interwoven and ever changing. But when I think of balance, I try to think of energy. My energy, a source that if I invest too much into the wrong things, can end up making me feel dissatisfied, drained and if drawn out for too long can make me feel ill physically or mentally. And so we must consciously decide how much of our energy is invested into work, friendships, partners, children, projects, charity etc.

A professional in the field of Whole Brain Thinking (a scalable framework which provides a lens for improved understanding and insight), recently asked me, 'where do you get your energy from? That is where you get your passion from, and that is what makes you feel happy.' And there it was, the secret to happiness. To my happiness.

I thought about what she said to me, over and over again. And I knew the answer.   When I use my natural ability to dream I have a talent that allows me to turn my dreams, visions into reality, into physical things. I am not an illusionist or a magician, I can actually take an idea and transform it into a physical thing. It comes in many forms, from writing music, lyrics, a blog, a book, a poem, sewing, sketching out a design.  Yes, it comes in all exciting and non-exciting forms - and that is ok. What excites us, varies for everyone. But to visualise and then to create that vision from an idea that is generated and born in my brain is what gives me the greatest pleasure and happiness.

Listening to your excitement. Some human beings seem to have a natural ability to focus their needs and direction in life based on what makes them happy. Some people, and I probably fall into this group, find it hard to allow themselves to be happy. To believe they deserve the things they want and to listen to the internal delight that is felt when they spend time doing the things they love.

So when you are looking for your own happiness. You won't find it in other people. Joy is what you find in other people and their company. But happiness is listening to the magic that lies within you. It was born when you were created. When the cells that made up your body and developed the senses you rely on every day to navigate you through this journey we call life. Happiness was planted like a seed inside you. And depending on how aware you are of it, may depend upon the size of its seed. It is your quest, your responsibility to seek it out and to bring it to the forefront of your life. Only then will you live the life you deserve. And only then will you live a life of happiness.