Have you ever noticed how so many people seem to pursue happiness? They work tirelessly to achieve something that seems just barely beyond their grasp, thinking to themselves, "If only I can reach this goal or make this amount of money or lose ten pounds......I will have happiness."

As they task and toil, working themselves past fatigue, people often rationalize that their efforts are the necessary requirements to finally reach the state of happiness. Silly people.

I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a road sign that points me directly to Happiness.  I've never seen it on a map, nor do I expect to input any certain coordinates into my GPS and hope that the wonders of technology will lead me to this desired destination.  (But I've come close:  Go to Maui and turn left!) 

My question remains, then: How do you find the road leading to happiness? I regret to inform you that there is no road, no path. You just can’t take off to find a place when you are already there.

Yes, you are already there. Open up your eyes and wake up your heart. Happiness has always been inside of you.  You won’t find it outwardly. You can only look inwardly. It’s been there all along. Perhaps it has been dormant for some time, crowded out by life's complexities and stressors.  But it’s there, just begging to get back to work for you and create a more meaningful, productive, abundant life.

Happiness is not a place just beyond the next horizon, or somewhere over the rainbow.  It doesn't exist in the future, it exists now.  It is a state of internal being, and one that you can tap into 24/7. Once you understand that you can exist in the ambiance of such a positive and uplifting feeling, happiness becomes your essence. YOU are happiness.  Look in the mirror. I guarantee that when you listen to your heart and open up your mind, you will realize that happiness has been staring back at you all along.

Your responsibility, however, is to recognize it, live it and share it with others. Here's to finding yours!