Success and Happiness—And Beyond

What is life about? Is it about success? About happiness? About getting what you want?

Well, yes, of course, it is about all of those things. From a certain standpoint. And I sincerely wish you the best with that.

But then there is a mystery to it. What is life about when you are unsuccessful, when you are unhappy, and when you don’t get what you want?

Answers From Silence says, “It’s not whether you have a good time. It’s whether you become aware.”

So, it’s about awareness. No matter what is happening. Even failure, unhappiness, and frustration are part of your path of enlightenment.

Just when you think you are being diverted from your desired destiny, it turns out that you are exactly where you need to be. Becoming aware is the prize.

However, this is not the popular idea of “it’s the journey that counts.” (Read about that here.)

Instead, this is to say that when you are distracted by the common measures of success, happiness, and getting what you want, and when you reject the other very real pieces of your life, then you miss an opportunity to grow in awareness.

There is just such a golden opportunity in every moment that passes. Especially the moments that seem difficult or incomprehensible.

When those arrive, try this phrase: “This is my path of enlightenment.”

And then you can experience what it is like to allow wholeness to happen.

You can also ask your Enlightened Self what it is that you are supposed to become aware of. Answers From Silence includes a how-to for this.

And remember, even when you have less success than someone else, even when you haven’t yet achieved the happiness you dream of, even when you didn’t get what you wanted, one thing remains true.

You are in first place on your path.

—JC