Have you ever realized just how much content there is about self-improvement and how to be happy? It's crazy!
Books, videos, podcasts, seminars, blogs (yep, like this one). It's everywhere. And it can be overwhelming for sure.
This guy says one thing, this lady says another, these two people say something entirely different. He has more credibility, but her message resonates with me more.
Who do I listen to? Who do I follow? Ahh!!
I get it. I find myself in that boat every once in a while.
You know what's interesting, though? I'm learning that when push comes to shove, when you peel the onion, it really all boils down to one decision - a decision that's the most important decision of your life.
Not who you're going to marry, what career you're going to take up, or for the youngsters, what your major will be.
The single most important decision you could ever make is whether or not you want to be happy no matter what.
Oh my God, Gabe, are you serious? I'm leaving this blog now and never coming back!
I can hear you now.
But THINK ABOUT IT!
There are billions of things that could happen right now - to you, to your family, to your friends, and to the planet. So many things that you haven't thought of, all out of your control. So it's not a matter of whether or not they will happen.
The real question is whether you want to be happy regardless of what happens.
Pretty deep, right?
If you recognize that behind everything you think you want - that job, that relationship, that bank account, that lifestyle - is a constant feeling of joy, love, and peace, then isn't it true that all you really want is to feel that sense of well-being no matter what?
So why try to fight billions of uncontrollable forces of the universe to try to feel that, when you could just look inward and work with what's already there?
If behind everything, we all want to experience passion, creativity, love, playfulness, and a constant sense of aliveness, wouldn't it follow that the single most important decision we can all make is to commit our lives to doing that?
This seems like the most logical thing to do.
But it's not the easy thing to do. It's not what our habitual minds want to do.
It won't be easy. But that's okay! I encourage you to give up the idea that it's easy. If you want it to be easy, then please, don't even begin the journey, because you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of even more misery.
When you commit to figuring out how to be happy all the time, you will eventually find answers. I've committed, and though I'm not perfect and certainly have my fair share of slip-ups, I'm a much better person because of it.
Eventually, you will find the truth. The answer that works for you. You will know when this happens.
With an applied willingness over time, anyone can achieve anything.
So apply yourself with the will to be happy unconditionally, and over time, you will achieve it.
I'm on my journey now, and I hope to take this journey together with you.
Live with substance!
Gabe
