15 Jul Happiness Found In The Present

happiness is not a target, it is a state attainable by being in the present

Happiness…we all crave it, seek it, work for it, demand it, command it, embrace it, and bathe in it. When it doesn’t materialize on cue, we are saddened and disappointed. And when it is swirling around us, we are often oblivious to its magic.

The late Indian philosopher and guru Osho tells a tale of going to a lake and laying in the cool, soothing water watching birds fly by and clouds drifting past a blue serene sky. Just by being present and drinking in the beauty and splendor of life, all his emotional turbulence drifted away replaced by peaceful thoughts and nurturing feelings. So happy was Osho that he shared this experience with a friend who was in emotional pain. The next day the friend raced down to the lake to experience happiness. Hours passed as he stared into the sky – he saw the soaring birds, he saw the puffy clouds, he felt the cool water…but where was this happiness that was supposed to be so attainable? He was still miserable and dissatisfied with his current state. Upon hearing his friend’s disappointing experience, Osho counseled him saying, “Happiness is not a target…it is a state only attainable by being in the present moment. Surrender to the moment and to the universe and happiness will unfold within you. Point yourself at the target of happiness…and you will miss.”

By experiencing the present moment–and being present in it-we are able to innocently and effortlessly understand feelings of happiness and celebrate them.