People often say they just want peace and happiness. You hear it from people all the time, "I just want to be happy." But really, some of these people don't want to be happy; it's a flat-out lie or a self-delusion. If they wanted happiness, they would have it. The truth is, we have what we want already. I know you will be tempted to blame everything outside of yourself for your woes, but it just isn't true. Sure, it's true that there is ugliness "out there," but happiness is absolutely something available inside of you — and it's available right now. If you are waiting for things in your life to align themselves so you can be happy, then you are likely in for some serious disappointment. Looking to the external for happiness is like a drug addiction; you are always looking for an external fix to sooth your withdrawals of depression when things aren't going well. It is a form of self-medicating something deeper and unresolved. Look, if you aren't happy, it's because you simply don't want to be. The mentally-ill and small children aside, you are responsible for your own happiness. Don't act pitiful and helpless. You do have choices even when your limiting beliefs insist that you don't. The most insubordinate obstacle you will encounter is your own limited thinking. How long are you going to keep waiting for happiness to come your way? I guess you're waiting for happiness to knock your door down and drag you out of your x-year-long streak of "bad luck." You may live in a harsh world at times, but you can have a beautiful inner-life, and a beautiful outer-life always begins with a beautiful inner-life.
