Signpost to Happiness

We seek happiness in the future. The future comes and our desire is still a distance down the road. Happiness is Here and Now. Happiness is not like an alarm set for some time in the future, when you have a better job, a bigger house, more money, a more agreeable life partner. So, open the happiness door today. Background music is "Our Sensual Dreams" by Narek Mirzaei of Music of Wisdom

Transcript

Dear friends,

Welcome to this meditation which is intended as a signpost to happiness.

It helps if you can set the mood for reflection by sitting comfortably.

If you have a special time,

A special place for this,

So much the better.

But if not,

Let's just do it anyway.

Can you begin by taking one or two deep breaths as a way of coming into awareness of this present moment?

You could use thoughts such as this.

Breathing in,

I become aware of my life in this present moment.

Breathing out,

I am thankful for my life in this present moment.

Let's take a few seconds to appreciate this gift.

An opening reflection.

We come from all the places of our separate lives to this period of quiet reflection.

From love and grief,

From hope and worry,

From solitude and from activity.

We come to seek renewal.

We come to seek happiness.

Let us set aside for now the cloud of everyday concerns,

Everyday plans,

Everyday pains.

Let us pause to give thanks for what we have.

To feel a sense of wonder.

And to experience the privilege and the happiness of living here and now in this present moment.

Can you try to call to mind some occasion in the last little while in which you have been truly happy?

Next,

Bring to mind any moment of special happiness that means a lot to you.

Let us take a few seconds to appreciate this gift.

Breathing in,

I become aware of my life in this present moment.

Breathing out,

I am thankful for my life in this present moment.

I am grateful for the happiness that means a lot to you.

And just rest in the glow of that happy feeling.

What is it that made you happy in those moments?

Was it a person?

A circumstance?

The pity is that most of us seem to spend a great deal of our lives planning for happiness in the future.

Then,

When the future comes along,

The thought for happiness seems to be still further away,

Away down the road.

Like a shifting oasis in the desert,

It constantly eludes us.

You may be familiar with this quote from Shakespeare.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time.

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.

We have to remember that any happiness that we can recall arises from something which was then happening in its own present moment.

The lesson from this discovery is simply that the happiness moments are here and now.

Happiness is here and now.

We could usefully write that down as happiness is here and now.

Here and now,

We could usefully write that down and put it in a place where we will be reminded of it.

Because happiness is not like an alarm set for some time in the future.

Some time when you have a better job,

A bigger house,

More money,

A more agreeable life partner.

Happiness is found in the here and the now are not at all.

So let's see if we can open the door of happiness right now and spend a few moments inside.

So closing our eyes and asking how am I just now?

How am I feeling just now?

Where am I in life just now?

Who supports me physically,

Psychologically,

Financially?

Think of the supports I value the most.

And ask what would life be like without any of these supports?

So realising that I have these supports now,

Can I first bring about a feeling of gratitude for what I have?

And can I turn that feeling of gratitude into a feeling of happiness?

Because gratitude and happiness go together.

They are like brother and sister.

In our search for future happiness,

We can take for granted and miss out on the present sources of our happiness.

In our searching for future happiness,

Our present bounty is taken for granted and unappreciated.

The tragedy is that we don't recognise our present goodness,

Our present good fortune,

For the gift that it is.

If we keep our eyes and ears open,

We will find happiness offered to us every single day.

A closing thought before the closing bell.

This is from Lawrence G.

Lovasek.

Try to make at least one person happy every day.

If you cannot do a good deed,

Speak a kind word.

If you cannot speak a kind word,

Think a kind thought.

Count up,

If you can,

The treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week,

In a year,

In a lifetime.

Just imagine it.

So my friends,

May you spread happiness near and far.

And may the happiness that you send around come back to you.

It always does.

May it keep you warm in every moment when the cold winds blow around you.

You can be sure it will return.

This is just the way of things in this interconnected and interdependent world.

Namaste.

Thank you.

Reviews

Our current culture seems unhappy, fearful and negative about the future while clinging to a past that never existed. I’ve discovered the secret to happiness is the present moment and gratitude! I love my life where I am right now! Thank you for this beautiful reminder! 🙏🏻

Thanks Tony. Happiness is here and now. That stuck with me. Also loved the inner peace cannot be bought, but must be cultivated. We grow and determine our own happiness.

That was wonderful Tony. So perfect for me today. Your meditations always make me feel so happy. ❣️🙏

Lovely! So thoughtful. I like to start my day with your timely thoughts. 🙏 Namaste

Tony, Thank you for capturing the “secrets” of happiness. They are so much better out loud!
Namaste, with love,
Donna

Wonderful words of wisdom as always. Thank you, dear Tony. You are a treasure! 🙏🏻

I love all your meditations. Thank you so much. Cheers from Sunny in Africa

Thank you, my friend! Comforting and encouraging of good, as always. 🙏🏻

Thank you Tony for this splendid reflection reminding us to count our blessings and see the daily wonders of life before us. This is most vital to a happy life. Namaste. I shall remember this lesson!

Thank you Tony! I really like the reminder that my happiness is here and now, not in the future. ❤️😀 so grateful for your mindful meditations and this app bringing them to me in the US.

Happiness in the now. This made me think of the garden work I completed yesterday Tony and the contentment I felt working the soil and putting in new plants.
May happiness be returned to you Tony 💯 fold for the little gems you give others each day. ✨🤗✨🕯✨🙏🏽✨

I’m happy to say that the borders have re-opened and I’m over in New Zealand until mid April with my daughter. So when I listen to the weekly sessions it will be 9am New Zealand time until daylight savings ends.
🌻🌻🌻

My heart has been warmed, on this cold winter morning. Thank you🙏🏻❄️

Feeling so grateful for being alive and Tony gave me another lovely boost! Thank you!! ❤️🤗💕

This turned around my whole day. Thank you!

Thank you a Tony. May this day be filled with a quiet happiness. Peace, Mary

Great way to start your day! Thank you for the blessing.

This was amazing and really shifted my perspective thank you a real healing meditation x

What can I say but wow for all your meditations and thoughts you share with us. NAMASTE 🌈🙏😊

Happiness is the here and now......remember this.

Always a pleasure to receive Tony's insight. Thank you.