00:30

The Secret To Happiness

by David Gandelman

Rated
4.8
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
2.3k

Life is abundant with ever-changing energies that are essential for our personal growth. At this moment, let us tap into this energy and assist you in discovering the key elements of your unique recipe for happiness through the utilization of various meditation and breathing techniques.

HappinessPersonal GrowthEnergyMeditationAcceptanceSelf WorthConfessionBalanceResponsibilityGratitudeInvalidationLayer PeelingSelf AcceptancePersonal ResponsibilityGratitude And HappinessSelf InvalidationBalance DiscoveryBreathingEnergy Shifts

Transcript

So as you close your eyes and take a few breaths,

Yeah,

Settle in,

Get behind your eyes.

And notice just by getting here and closing your eyes,

You're starting to take responsibility for your own happiness even more.

So just have some gratitude for that.

You know the hardest part about meditating sometimes could be just closing our eyes and getting into it.

And that might just be because there's expectation.

Oh,

I might hit some resistance,

Or I'm going to notice my noisy mind,

Or I'm going to feel like I didn't get there yet,

Or I'm not doing this right.

So as you come into meditation here,

As you go inwards with your awareness,

Notice if any of that arises,

If there's any energy of expectation or not doing this right,

And just say hello to it.

Like you're passing it by,

You see it in the window,

You just kind of wave hi.

Yeah,

No doubt we're not doing it.

Nobody's doing it right.

Nobody's doing it right.

We're all just doing it.

Can you let that idea of I need to do this right,

Just peel off of you?

And that could go for any area of your life.

Just take a moment.

If there's one area in your life where you can let go of a layer of that,

I'm not doing it right in my relationship space,

I'm not doing it right in my career,

I'm not doing it right with my money,

I'm not doing it right with my spiritual growth.

Notice almost like a layer of energy around you in relationship to one of these,

Like almost like a film,

Like an algae.

If you can't find one,

Just wait,

It'll arise.

When you do find it,

I don't want you to go into the story about it or fight it.

I want you to just notice this like film of it on you.

It's like almost on your energy field around you,

Or maybe you feel it on your head or your chest or somewhere on the body.

Just notice it.

I'm not doing this right,

Or I'm failing at this.

I'm not good enough in this area.

Someone's better than me.

Whatever form of invalidation it takes.

Just take a moment with it.

Really get intimate with this energy,

And then what I want you to do is just start to peel it off of you,

Just like an algae.

Just like,

Oh,

Just peel it off of you.

So you're not solving it or fixing it or figuring it out.

You're just kind of peeling it off.

You can have a little amusement with it too,

If you've been taking it like way too seriously.

That's what it feeds on.

Invalidation feeds on seriousness.

It feeds on you believing it.

Is it really true that you're not good enough in this area,

Or you haven't done enough,

Or are you just growing?

Let's do a little bit of confession here.

You see people go into a confession box,

And they say something,

And then they feel better because they got it off their chest.

So you're almost doing that kind of confession with yourself right now,

But not out of guilt,

Out of just pure honesty.

Oh,

I could have,

Yeah,

I noticed this area of my life where I wasn't really attentive,

Or this part of me has been hurting,

Or I haven't been honest enough over here,

Or I've been afraid.

Can you accept that?

Notice some of the energy of that invalidation.

It's almost like draining off of you.

It's coming off of you as you pull this layer off.

Maybe there's been too much blame or too much judgment.

Maybe you're even judging the judgment.

Perhaps you've invented expectations.

If you find yourself arguing or struggling,

Accept the arguing and the struggling.

If you find yourself feeling guilty or shamed or stuck,

Accept the guilt,

The shame,

Or the stuckness.

Who said there's something wrong with stuckness?

Who said there's something wrong with shame?

Shame feeds on more shame,

So accept it instead.

Maybe part of your happiness doesn't come from being perfect,

But accepting that you are trying to be perfect,

And in that accepting,

Letting those expectations start to fall away.

Let some of that psychic weight come off of you.

You're doing great.

If you're sitting here meditating with me right now with this group,

And you're really paying attention,

You're doing great.

Your happiness arises not out of some kind of manipulation of the moment or of other people or of energy.

It comes out of an acceptance.

There's a deep,

Deep well of existential this almost inner stillness and being underneath all of this.

No matter what's going on on the surface,

It's always right here deep inside you.

There's a universal contentment that's weaved through the fabric of reality,

Which you are very much a part.

Just notice that place inside yourself.

As your energy shifts,

As you notice that place inside yourself,

I want you to also notice how much you're really worth.

How can we quantify your value?

You have this infinite deep stillness inside of you connected to all of life,

And you forgot because of some expectation or some invalidation.

It's okay.

You lost touch.

Maybe you forgot.

You forgot your self-worth because you compared yourself to some idea or some other person.

It's okay.

Just like I was mentioning earlier about this almost recipe of balance,

Notice what you need.

The last step here is I want you to just notice what you need to find that balance for yourself.

What is it?

This one piece here.

Do you need more self-love?

Are you looking to have more security in an area of your life?

Be more creative?

Give yourself more time to meditate?

Let go of a few of those outside things that were affecting you that you put on your list or focus on one of the ones on the inside.

Just one thing.

Let it arise.

The key to finding more balance in your life.

Start to feel what it would feel like to have that area of your life in balance.

Just notice that feeling.

Just bring yourself there right now.

I want you to also recognize that it's not about answers so much as it's about energy.

Our answers come out of our energy.

As we shift our energy and recognize what's inside of us,

Then answers naturally arise.

They arise.

But without shifting our energy,

There are no right answers.

Because what life wants out of us is to grow.

Life already has the answers.

It wants you to blossom into them in your own unique way.

It's not going to look like anybody else.

Own that for yourself.

Recognize that you're taking responsibility and ownership for your own balance,

Which will lead to your own happiness.

Take a big deep breath in.

Nice sigh out.

You've done amazing work,

As always.

Whatever you've been looking at for now,

You can just kind of let it go.

You can slowly open your eyes and stretch.

Great job.

Meet your Teacher

David GandelmanBoulder, CO, USA

4.8 (234)

Recent Reviews

Cathy

December 2, 2025

This was very freeing. Thank you.

Mary

June 20, 2025

Brilliant, and deeply healing. Thank you!

Khader

June 20, 2025

Great job

Adele

September 8, 2024

You have a great voice, you have a great way of looking at feelings. nice job, thanks for all you do. Sending you love and support.

Stephanie

August 21, 2024

Thank you

Carole

April 23, 2024

A lovely examination of some limiting thought patterns and a release. Thank you.

Marjolein

April 18, 2024

Helpful 🙌

Mike

April 18, 2024

Very helpful! A great meditation to help take control of your own wellbeing 🙏🏼☮️

Doug

April 6, 2024

I really enjoyed your creating the space in this meditation to go inward and reflect. I got to sit with where I'm beating myself up, accept, and start to make peace. Thank you!

Cynthia

April 4, 2024

Really lovely and oh-so-useful to get the day off to a positive start after, frankly, it didn’t feel like “it” wanted to go that way! <smiling> 🙏

Heron

March 9, 2024

“No one is doing it right! We’re all just doing it.” I love this perspective on letting go of self criticism and finding balance as a route to happiness. Your tone is so gentle and accepting, it’s really helpful.

Alice

February 29, 2024

I love this meditation. And thanks for the reminder that I’m still growing. Please consider using a lower tone Bell for people like myself with a noise sensitivity. (hyperacusis/ tinnitus 🔔) thank you

Shalini

February 8, 2024

My relationships pattern is drama ... Boom! It's gone 😆💗🙏🌷 thank you x

Patty

October 28, 2023

David, you are such a gifted meditation teacher. 🙏✨Thank you, once again for sharing this way of shifting energy. Perling off the layers, so happiness shines through—love this! Awesome meditation!!💖

Stephanie

October 21, 2023

Love everything about this! Look forward to listening again🌸🌿💛

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© 2026 David Gandelman. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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