A man once told the Buddha, “I want happiness.”  Buddha replied, “First, remove ‘I’: that’s ego. Then remove ‘want’: that’s desire.  And now all you’re left with is happiness.”

There is nothing you need to get be or do to be happy. It is hardwired into you. It is part of your DNA. It is your True Nature . If you’re not happy it is because you have learned to be unhappy. You have bought into the “if, then” mental model. If this happens then I will be happy. This model is faulty.  Let me demonstrate why. Can you recall a time when you were confronted with a scene of such spectacular beauty that it took you outside of yourself and into place of instant peace and serenity, a space of awe. Perhaps a sunset or a mountain view. In that moment you probably weren’t thinking, “man is this stunning but…. if that tree over there was just a few yards this way, or if there was just a bit more magenta in those clouds then this would really be perfect.  You probably just appreciated the scene for exactly what it was.   Contentment is a quiet kind of joy. At least once a day take pause just to look up and at least once a day take pause to look within and appreciate this existence.