Page 62 - The Truth Landscape Format 2020 with next section introductions-compressed

Finances

We are not talking here about how wealthy or poor you are. It’s not about how much money you have but how you relate to it. Does it cause you so much stress
that you worry yourself sick or are you at ease with the flow of money. Money or rather the lack of it, is a major cause of disharmony in relationships and
again, can severely impede your path to true happiness in all the other areas of your life.

Spiritual

Spirituality exists for most people to some degree in their lives, either in faith in an organised religion, or in their own perception and belief in a creator. There
are those that have absolutely no religious or spiritual beliefs at all, if this is true of you, you can replace this section with something else and indeed further
sections that come to mind for you.

Your happiness resides in you

No matter how much you love, admire or respect someone, your own true happiness cannot be found in them, it must be found within yourself. Of
course we all need the companionship and love of others, but it is our appreciation of them that brings us long term happiness. If we love someone, it
is human nature to expect that love to be returned, and it is often in this area that the major cause of dissatisfaction is found. Learning to appreciate that
the love we feel for them is more important than receiving their love, is a major step forward to understanding that the happiness within us is the only happiness
we can sustain indefinitely.

The same can be said of material possessions. In this fast moving world of consumerism and materialistic values, so many of us strive for the bigger house, the
nicer car, the finer things in life. That is perfectly natural, but recall the last major purchase you made, the initial thrill of owning the latest DVD player, top of
the range car or beautiful detached home. How long did the excited feelings last before the item became part of the everyday furniture of your life?

The true happiness that is the authentic you, is totally independent of any material possession you might have, and any other person who you might
have regard for, yet it does improve your experience of that possession or person. The true happiness that is you, is independent of what you do or do
not do, yet in possession of happiness it makes your experience of what you do or do not do infinitely more enjoyable. The true happiness that is you
is independent of anything you might be or not be, yet it makes your experience of what you might be or not be, more pleasurable.

True happiness, happiness that lasts, is to be found within us, in the inner peace and contentment with our feelings of appreciation for ourselves and others.

A major turning point in our lives occurs when we learn two key lessons :-

1. If we don’t commit to achieving our own happiness, no-one else will or can. If all we ever do is set out to make other people happy, our happiness is
largely determined by their feelings, not our own. Focusing entirely on making others happy is a soul destroying exercise that can only result in Page62
frustration, resentment and disappointment.