What Is True Happiness?

Nowadays, most of us tend to work very hard at our jobs or careers, hoping to generate more income so that we and our families can have a higher standard of living, which in turn will bring more happiness into our lives by having better lives. Let's think for a minute as to what we mean by a better life. Is it to have a better house to live in? To have a better car to drive? To have better clothes to wear? To have better food to eat? To have a better financial situation? Or to have better materialistic possessions at our disposal?

Let's assume that having all of the above "better everything" in our lives can bring us true happiness and help us learn more about the wisdom in life -- then the truth about this life is actually very materialistic and tangible and rather temporary and short-lived. If this is truly what the core of reality is all about, then those of us who have the opportunity to possess sufficient material and tangible things should not have to experience much suffering in our lives. Ironically, the more possessions and wealth we have, the more burdens, responsibility, anxiety, and maybe more misery we have to bear.

By having the opportunity to experience materialistic wealth, power, and the public's respect and admiration, we invariably also face the intensity of excitement, but it is more in the form of temptation than contentment. Temptation feeds the desires of the ego in that the more money we earn, the more we spend, the more fame and status we hold, the more power we desire. The more power we possess, the more we abuse it, and the more materialistic goods we possess, the more we crave.

In order to constantly satisfy the ego's gratification, we tend to seek more of those things we already have, usually not for the purpose of benefiting others, but most importantly to benefit the ego. Therefore, the more tangible things we obtain, the more temptations there will be, and the more responsibility we would have to render in order to overcome those temptations. If we fail to take on the responsibility of avoiding destructive behaviors, we will be trapped within the cycle of never-ending suffering.

In reality, the status, fame, power, wealth, and materialistic things we have been striving for and already possess are merely passing through our lives. What is genuinely ours has to come from within, such as our personalities, talents, knowledge, wisdom, and personal values, which cannot die or be destroyed by any means unless we allow it. Even though we can always enjoy those tangible things we desire for as long as we have them, the very thought and act of depending on them for our happiness can be very detrimental and dangerous to our personal growth. Because once those tangible things are no longer there, we might not know how to restore our balance. Those things might be taken away from us suddenly and/or cruelly, by means of corruption, aggression, greed, hatred or jealousy by others we either know or do not know.

The most promising thing for us to strive for is to search for happiness within us through our personal growth and self-expression in all aspects of our lives, including our work, family life, hobbies, social activities, and personal times for ourselves. This is the very purpose that defines true happiness and the very goal true leaders in our society are striving for. Thus, we would not have to become powerless or emotionally broke when we are financially and materialistically broke. (5:1-1)

Excerpt from: True Leaders Part III, Professional and Social Guide

Copy Right 2007, ISBN: 1-4208-6971-X(sc), Library of Congress Control Number: 2005906194
No part of the book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

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