For a long time, I wrestled with the idea that our purpose here on Earth is to be happy. I listened to spiritual gurus discuss it and read articles by people who claimed to live happy lives, despite tragedies, setbacks and chaos. Surely, there was something wrong with me.
I blamed my ego. I told myself I needed to work harder on becoming enlightened. Like a lot of folks, I found solace in food, alcohol and an occasional fun vacation. Then one day I was talking to a friend and she asked, “Do you have waves of happiness in a sea of chaos or waves of chaos in a sea of happiness?”
The answer was the latter.
By happiness, I mean a general feeling of calm and peace about life, not some Pollyanna-ish state of being that isn’t sustainable. To me, happiness is a way of life. Yes, there will always be experiences that create those waves, but the overwhelming state of my life is happiness.
I credit a large part of this to my work with the Akashic Records – a personal library in a place beyond our limited existence that contains a record, like a computer hard drive, of your soul’s journey. It includes details (thoughts, feelings, experiences and talents) from every lifetime you’ve ever lived. This work helped me to realize that some of my patterns and beliefs came from other lives and were bleeding into this life to be completed.
Using this information, I transformed what sometimes felt like tsunami-sized waves of misery into mere ripples. Here’s how I did it.
Five Steps to Happiness
The following are five steps to happiness:
• Step One: To swim in a sea of mostly happiness, the first thing you need to do is ask, “What will make me happy?” Maybe it’s a healthy relationship or an abundant bank account. Perhaps it’s having the freedom to live your passion or even discovering a way to use your talents to make the world a better place. Ask yourself this very important question and remember that what you really want may come in ways you can’t predict.
• Step Two: Take one small step that moves you toward your answer and see how far you get. Initiating a change can be scary. It often produces anxiety and discomfort because humans love the familiar. If you’re stuck in a dead-end job, revise your resume. Heartbroken? Find ways to show how much you appreciate yourself. Say no to a situation that you know will produce chaos. If you’re able to do this with ease, skip right to Step Five!
• Step Three: If you feel stuck or unable to stick to the small changes, a dive into your Akashic Records could help you discover what’s blocking your path. This process is empowering for many reasons. You may become aware of past-life promises, karma or soul contracts that block you from creating your own sea of happiness. It’s freeing to realize issues from other lifetimes to thwart your happiness in this lifetime.
• Step Four: The Akashic Records are how I chose to transform my own “sea” and I’ve seen it work for hundreds of others. Find what works best for you. If the concept of the Akashic Records isn’t something that appeals to you, experiment with different tools and see where you feel connected. There are many avenues to explore to see what fits. Play with it and trust you’ll know what feels right.
• Step Five: Remember, it takes a journey to create a sea of happiness with occasional waves of discontent. Don’t be hard on yourself while you’re in process. And don’t believe that the work is ever done. We all have periods where we are exhausted, grieving or just ornery. Maybe it seems like all we’ve worked for hasn’t created what we want. This is when it’s most important to keep going. And trust that this, like everything else, is transient.
However you choose to embark upon this journey, remember that there’s no such thing as 100 percent happiness and that the most important piece is to enjoy the exploration!