How To Be Happy For No Reason

Being happy for no reason is largely the territory of young children
...and of saints! What do these two groups have in common?
They are both in close contact with their true, joyful nature.

As we grow up and become more and more identified with a limited
image of ourselves, we lose this connection with our true essence
and we begin to search for happiness on the outside.

happy for no reason
If you saw a
two year-old child hopping on the spot and singing to their heart's content, you would think nothing of it.

In fact, you would probably consider their joyful demeanor cute and perfectly natural.

If it was a 40 year-old man, on the other hand, you would likely cross the street and proclaim him nuts!

We consider being happy for no reason as expected behaviour for a child but disturbing in an adult.

Try it for yourself! If you stand beaming with joy in the middle of a busy street what would most people ask?

"Why are you so happy?" A saint would probably answer "Why not?"

So why is that, if a child is unhappy, we are concerned, whereas unhappiness in an adult is considered normal?

And, furthermore, if being happy for no reason is our natural state, then why is it not our ongoing experience?

Could it be that the "you" that you experience is not the "real you" and that children, saints and madmen are simply more in touch with who they are?

Is being happy for no reason simply a case of remembering who we really are beyond mind, body, personality, job, status and other labels?

I believe there are two factors involved.

The first is our conditioned minds.

Here in Scotland, for example, if you ask someone how they are, a typical response would be "Not too bad" or "I can't grumble"

This answer implies you are doing well if you are simply keeping your head above water. Every child brought up in this environment will be deeply conditioned to believe that the adults lot is a miserable one. And there are many more examples. Adulthood is very much tied in with ideas of seriousness.

This is not true in all cultures. In rural Tibet, for example, I was struck by the natural joy and playfulness of people of all ages. Growing up was not necessarily linked with becoming serious.

Another factor amongst these people was their natural innocence.

Through closely examining and understanding the ways in which we have been conditioned, we can become free of it, leaving room for our natural joy to shine through. I examine this in detail in my happiness workshops.

There are many ways we can move towards an increased experience of happiness such as focusing on gratitude,looking for ways to give more or practicing non-attachment

If you wish to accelerate the process, it is important to have a daily spiritual practice such as meditation.

Regular meditation allows you to dive into the depths of your being and experience the joy of who you really are.

Then you can experience for yourself that being happy for no reason is indeed your natural state.

Return To The Top Of This Page: Happy For No Reason

Return To The Homepage: Finding Happiness

SBI!