Connection. A simple 10 letter word that, in our opinion, holds the secret to happiness.
For years we were seeking happiness from external sources hoping that one day we could find the answer to all our problems. However, what we didn’t realise was we were seeking ‘pleasure’, which is actually very different to happiness. Were we unhappy, no, we didn’t think so. We had a very fortunate and privileged life, but we seemed to always be searching for something better – whether it be a better job, a better pay cheque, a better house, a better work-life balance and so the list goes on.
So where did this daily search for pleasure come from? There were areas of our life we didn’t much like, we felt somewhat trapped in a cycle of work and bills (who doesn’t?!), we were fearful and worried about what others thought of us (normal, right?!), and yes some days more than others we allowed negative thoughts to creep in and cloud our entire world.
Ta dah! There you have it. We were seeking pleasure every day to try and fill our not so full happiness bucket inside. We were compensating for the areas of our life we didn’t like.
What we’ve realised is the more we were seeking pleasure from external sources, the more we were becoming disconnected. Disconnected from who we really were. The person we were meant to be, the person we were born to be and the person we needed to accept. As we ran from this person, or tried to be like someone we weren’t (and were never going to be), the more we searched for external things to satisfy our void inside.
Pleasure doesn’t equal happiness, however happiness provides a huge amount pleasure.
What’s the difference?
Pleasure is externally motivated and depended on circumstances, which can change a pleasurable experience into a not so pleasurable experience quite quickly. However, happiness is an internal state of fulfilment and satisfaction, no matter what the external circumstance.
Navigating this maze over the years, one thing is for sure, happiness can ONLY be found within. It is found when we experience that beautiful connection with our raw, pure and genuine inner most being. Happiness is when we can still find that light, spark and loving connection within our heart. When that warmth within us can comfort us regardless of what we’re going through. But to get there, we need to stop searching externally and start searching within.
Know that true happiness is inside you. It is simply waiting for you to embrace it and for you to love and connect with the person you were born to be.