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There is so much suffering in this world; many people don't seem to be as happy as they'd like to
be. Those who don't have enough are struggling just to survive, while those who have all the
comforts of life may find themselves becoming self-absorbed, spoiled, or worried about losing
what they have.
Many people are living frantic lives, with little time available for simpler pleasures, such as
appreciating the beauty of nature, sharing blessed moments with loved ones, or quietly
appreciating the joy of being alive.

Instead, large multitudes of unhappy people rush through cities and towns, getting themselves
in all kinds of messes. Some are trying to dig their way out of financial debt, while others are
making arrangements for a marriage or a divorce - or perhaps a second or third marriage or
divorce. Parents are speeding home so they can get the kids to drama class on time, in
between the football and dance practice - driving here and there, and perhaps picking up
some bags of shopping and speeding tickets on the way home.

Many find themselves barely making it through each day in time to get a few hours of sleep
before getting up to do it all again. Most people fill their daily lives with “activity” in the belief
that it will somehow bring happiness.

With so much to do, who has time to find happiness?
The Pursuit of Happiness

The pursuit of happiness can be very much like
chasing a butterfly, frantically chasing it here
and there only to find that it escapes our grasp
as we approach it. When we sit quietly at
peace with ourselves, happiness, like the
elusive butterfly appears on our shoulder.

We were born in a state of happiness. That is
our natural state, our basic nature. Happiness is
our pure state before we found it necessary, in
the adult world, to apply our masks and
limitations.

If the bookshelves and magazines on the topic are anything to go by, the pursuit of happiness
seems to be a very big deal indeed. It is part of our natural instinct to pursue happiness. The
same way we seek to experience physical pleasure and avoid physical pain, we seek emotional
pleasure, and attempt to avoid emotional pain. Our emotional enjoyment, or what we can call
happiness, is simply part of human nature.

The pursuit of happiness and emotional well being is one of the all encompassing motivations
that people have once they meet their survival needs. When a person is physically comfortable
and no longer driven by fear of starving or freezing to death, emotional pleasure becomes a
primary pursuit. Happiness may take many forms but it is the underlying motivator in most our
decisions.

A large part of feeling good in the mind is about avoiding what we believe feels painful, or
potentially painful. This includes using compensating strategies like buying a large car to keep
emotionally painful fears and beliefs at bay. Compensating strategies don’t eliminate fear
based beliefs, but people rely on them a lot to keep their fears managed.