Often I will ask people, at random, if they are happy. More times than not, they answer with "About what?" This tells me a lot about their state of mind. People have been raised to believe that no one is really happy. The successful man has always been portrayed by the multi-tasking, 60 hour a week worker who's main goal in life is to make a lot of money. We all know the old saying "Money doesnt buy happiness", but most people really believe that it does.
A better word for happiness could be "joyfulness". Imagine waking up every morning and being joyful? Despite what is going on in your life, you can still be joyful. All it takes is 20 minutes a day of meditation. Through the meditation, one becomes centered, in mind, body, and spirit. One learns to live in the moment. The past is fine to learn from and the future is fine to plan for but all that exists right now is this present moment. Meditation helps teach you how to allow random thoughts to simply pass by, like a cloud, so you can continue on with whatever you were doing. People often say "Just put it out of your mind". Well, those who practice daily meditation can actually do that.
But there is a catch. You have to actually do the daily meditation. Reading books or just talking about it does nothing. The best thing would be to find a local meditation instructor who can help you get started. They can be found many times where Yoga, Pilates, or martial arts are taught. Going to a class that meets on a regular basis is a major boost in keeping you on the path. The instructor is also very valuable in helping with any problems you might experience while meditating.
Living in the present moment is the key to joyfulness. Meditation is the path to getting there.
