As time goes on, I realize there is really only one key to happiness, but it changes shape.

The key is yours to hold forever.  It takes a certain amount of wisdom to know this.  Some never get this.  I’m trying to teach my seven year old this concept.  He’s the middle child of five and often plays victim and feels sorry for himself.  I know how to play that well myself.  That’s why it’s even more annoying.  I used to live every day with the perspective that happiness was something outside of me.

I’m teaching my son, Finnegan, that your happiness is this box in your hands and you hold the key.  Some people give their box to someone else and they still hold the key.  But some people are constantly giving their box and new keys out daily to different people.  I always have my box, but sometimes I give my keys out to my kids.  When they are all fighting, it’s easy to succumb to the trap.  I also use to give the box/key to weight loss, my bank account, and whether people liked me.

The only thing being liked ever guarantees you is a momentary sense of satisfaction that is replaced immediately with a “what’s next?”

Happiness also seems like something we must chase down and isn’t right there in existence all along.  It resides within like the pearl in the oyster shell at times.  Other times it shines so bright, people are actually glowing.  I think peace was a key to happiness too, but it can be fleeting as disturbances in a pool of water are natural to occur.  It’s the same with happiness too.  Peace and happiness are states of being we are in and then out.  Nothing has gone wrong, we reach higher levels of happiness and deeper levels of peace.  The doorway to the box is always within.  Self-love is the abra-cada-bra!  Love yourself to happiness, not the other way around.

The key to happiness in life is to know your value. You are the real key.  That never changes, your value that is. People will tell you when you’re young, you haven’t earned it. When you’re old, they’ll tell you it expired. It’s all a big-old-moldy-mean lie. “They” are giving you a gift that you get to unwrap. Without the bow and fancy wrapping, there is you. Your genius, brilliance, and truth, you will discover these when you don’t look into others’ eyes to see it. You’ll forget this. You’ll remember. A cycle of a love affair you were meant to have with yourself. All the good love stories have some turmoil and then they get back together. Their hearts were always together though. That’s you and your soul. True love forever. No one can ever cause a breakup, they just help shed some light in how much you value the connection when it’s not there.

Tune into what makes you feel happy.  Decide to be happy.  Feel happiness.  It’s a channel you can always keep turning your dial to get to.  It can always be adjusted.  You are the key to your happiness.