How to Coach Yourself and Others Happiness Is No Accident | Page 56

AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS OR TEMPORARY
HAPPINESS?
Authentic happiness is not what most people talk of, when they talk about being happy.
True happiness is a state where you know that you will be happy tomorrow… next week… and
next year.
You know you will be happy if the sun shines tomorrow… or if it rains.
Authentic happiness does not depend on anything happening… or not happening.
Authentic happiness is a way of living that is in tune with your natural physical and emotional
design. It is the buzz of being in control of your life and of sharing all that you are with the
world. It is like the smooth hum of a luxury car running perfectly.
Most people talk of happiness when they are not happy.
When we are happy our mind is not on how we are feeling, but is absorbed in something exciting.
In our moments of deepest happiness we are not even aware of thinking.
We speak of happiness from a longing to be happy. Therefore happiness is spoken about in the
way that someone drowning would clamour about for a lifeline.
We speak of happiness when we are sick of misery.
We speak of being happy when we are desperate to get rid of the pain of emptiness and frustration.
This is why we grab at anything that seems to be easy for us to reach. We reach out to be happier
from an emotional state that doesn’t believe anything more than temporary relief is possible.
So we settle for a short-term fix.
Our attempts at creating authentic happiness are like our attempts at being healthy.
We all want to be healthy. But we never think about being healthy, until we experience ill health.
We never concern ourselves with keeping our body in its best possible working order.
But when we get sick or experience pain, we crave health. And from the desperation to avoid
pain, we will take a painkiller.
The pain killer doesn’t make us healthy. In fact many would argue that introducing the painkiller
may lead to imbalances in the body…which may lead to further health problems. But it does take
away our pain.
When our pain is gone do we concern ourselves with ensuring our health is the best it can be?
No.
For most of us we forget about our health… until we get another reminder.
We follow this same pattern for happiness… And this is why few reach authentic happiness.
We forever chase the instant and easy cure rather than the effective and lasting solution.

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