Happiness and success are actually deeply interconnected. They both share a common aspect- they cannot be pursued. If we practice soul consciousness, the thought emerges that the feelings of having achieved both success and happiness should be a result of our personal dedication to something greater than the physical self. The situations we come across in this life, which are also due to our past actions, are often scripted differently than what we desire. The roots of human discontent lay in the fact that the situations often unfold themselves naturally, and they do not take human desires into consideration. They are random and different in contrast to what we want to establish through our goals. However, in such circumstances, this awareness is important that we do have a choice to create something beautiful out of such unexpected situations, which can help build the inner worlds of our minds, which is contentment in life, while embracing the joy of growing in every moment. It is, therefore, a choice to achieve happiness by achieving control over the contents of our own consciousness.

In the modern world – wealth, status and role have become important symbols of happiness. They can be genuine blessings and important, but only if they help us feel joyful. It is important to understand how we can consciously create efforts towards attaining these goals, while also staying happy and content in the moment. Materialistic success is only one aspect of life. There are many other dimensions of life that can give us joy and satisfaction. This awareness can free us from becoming addicted to the attention and approval from others that often come along with being successful on a materialistic level. In order to overcome the stress of modern life, we first need to re-experience our original virtue of happiness. We can do this by defining what is really important to us and what isn’t. We can then find enjoyment and purpose in our actions, and learn to reward ourselves, irrespective of its social importance and regardless of external circumstances.

(To be continued tomorrow …)