CHAPTER SEVEN
by David Nova
The purpose of these posts is a journey, a return to happiness and completeness, seeking the truth that helps the mind discover inner peace, moving towards the revelation and the acceptance of why things are as they are. A great deal of our unhappiness lies with our unease and confusion, our discontent, our anger with the Universe.
What aspects of life bring us true happiness? A complete answer may lie beyond the scope of this blog. The details may be unique to every human being. However, we can list some generalities that may provide insight.
Unsurprisingly, these guidelines are entirely about inner knowledge. Not simply facts and belief structures, these aspects are about the attainment of understanding and wisdom.
1. Knowing Our Self
First and foremost, to be content we need to know ourself, who we are, what we want. This is not about superficial external factors, what foods we like, what TV shows we like, our outward appearance, our outward personality traits. Contentment comes from knowing ourselves inside and out, both the good and the bad, our talents and weakness, our joys and fears, our core personality, the characteristics of our soul. When we seek to know ourself, our failures become our teachers.
2. Knowing Our Purpose
Real joy come from a sense of purpose. What’s important to us? What matters most? What gives our life meaning? Our sense of purpose moves us beyond simply following our dreams. Dreams are illusory. They shatter. Our sense of purpose is the real goal before us when our dreams are tested, broken, and discarded. When we seek to know our purpose, our broken dreams become our teachers.
3. Knowing Our Community
Real joy comes from sharing our true self, our life, our love, and our sense of purpose with those around us, our chosen family, our circle of friends, our immediate community. Real sharing is a two-way street. We need likeminded individuals to both support and challenge us, not superficial cheerleaders who are afraid to be honest with us.
Real joy requires real human contact. The internet, texting, and social networks are a poor substitute at best. They leave us isolated behind a digital wall, connected but disconnected. They substitute filters, masks, and emoticons for a face-to-face emotional connection. They are the early stages of the virtual-reality prison we are building for ourselves. (3D Earth is basically a virtual-reality prison. We are building a prison within a prison.)
4. Knowing Our Path
Real contentment comes from knowing where we are going, knowing that we are on the right path for us, having faith in our personal journey when the voyage gets bumpy. Thus there is an aspect of personal faith required for the attainment of real happiness. When we feel supported by the Universe we trust the path ahead of us, we walk with greater ease.
5. Knowing Inner Peace
Finally, real joy comes from knowing that it all works out in the end. Thus there is an aspect of absolute trust required for the attainment of real happiness.
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” ― John Lennon
image source: unsplash.com, non-copyrighted images.
