Striving Is The Opposite To Happiness

Happiness is our natural state. It means that we are content with our lives, and we know what we are doing and why.

We only strive and create stress by trying to keep up with others’ ideas of happiness. That sort of happiness is like Chinese-whispers, where the message becomes changed and exaggerated through mishearing and misunderstanding. Our life may not be perfect in the sense of being all-shiny-and-new, but it’s what we have to work with.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in – pleasant or unpleasant – is due to things that happened in our past, and the way we related to these. Most decisions we make are to do with other people. We strive to impress others, and they strive to impress us – but it never works.

When we swim on our own, we go at our own pace, and relax. When swimming with others, we strive more. The world in which we live wants us to compete, and get better at competing. That is stressful. Is it satisfying? Wanting to be better than others isn’t the path to happiness.

Why aren’t we taught to be happy? We are taught that happiness can be achieved. That is the opposite to realising that we are already happy.

Our unhappiness is due to doubt and confusion. This comes about by two opposing messages: strive and be happy.

Once we know what happiness is – an inner state of pure awareness without confusion – we look at the world, and feel sad that people don’t recognise their inner quality of happiness.