At this point in my life I am aligned with no particular religion, but am open to what I perceive to be the best that each has to teach. My beliefs, morals and ethics are my own unique combination of western and eastern followings, some current and some ancient. There are many great leaders in many walks of life I can learn from such as the following words of a Hindu teacher of the “Vedanta” named Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda.

All of us seek happiness and we want to be happy. But our happiness is always dependent on objects, beings and places. IF I get such-n-such a thing, or IF a particular thing happens in my life, or IF I become this-n-this, THEN I will be happy.

We all want happiness now, and want it to be forever. There is an inherent contradiction here. I want happiness and I want it now, in the present moment. If I always say IF such a thing happens, or IF I go somewhere, IF I will be happy… our happiness is projected in the future.

Simply stated, our happiness is never in the action, but in the result of an action… Every action will produce a particular result, but here I put a condition – I will be happy only IF it produces such-n-such a conditional result. So happiness is always in the future, even thought I want to be happy now. What a contradiction!

We always prepare for happiness, or we pretend to be happy. When we finally get something we’ve wanted for a long time, are you happy now that you have acquired it? “You were craving it for a long time, are you happy now that you have acquired it?” they ask. You feel compelled to say “yes”, sometimes reluctantly. You have to say yes!

One secret of happiness is to enjoy the action. Enjoy the action itself; discover the joy in every little thing. Enjoy the opening of eyes, listening to something, ability to see, touch, hear, feel, everything is wonderful. There is really nothing to complain (about). There is benefit in everything – even in being bald. No combing of the hair required. Someone asked a 103-year old lady “what is the benefit of being 103 years old?” “There is no peer pressure” she replied.

Today I can gratefully say I am the happiest I have ever been. While far from feeling happy all the time, my ability to know contentment increases as I am able to accept things as they are, appreciate what happens in my life (good and bad) and remain open to a power beyond my singular self.

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued,
is always beyond our grasp,
but, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Full article at http://cmdfwmedia.org/resources/Files/Pursuit%20Of%20Happiness.pdf