What Nourishes You?

We're accustomed to search for "what makes us happy" -- and that is really the driving force behind most of the world's "consumer culture" -- the promise of finding happiness. Whether it's in a kind of car, a kind of job, or even a kind of person, the underlying promise behind it all -- whether that promise is coming from us, or coming from someone or something else -- is that it will make us happy.

This in itself is perfectly fine. I mean, why not? Isn't happiness worth experiencing?

Yes! Of course it is! However...

The challenge arises when we focus on the fact that happiness is not the most...well, scientific of terms. It's not like, say, "gold" or "oil" or something that can be measured against a static definition; and if something "meets" that definition, it's declared gold, oil, or something else. Happiness is a very abstract, elusive, nebulous term.

And because of this abstract, elusive, nebulous-ness of happiness, trying to "find it" in our life is a lot harder than it seems. Hence, we spend so much effort trying to be happy -- doing all kinds of things, making all kinds of decisions and so forth -- but rarely do we ever truly experience happiness.

The knack is -- and it's really a knack and not a strategy or anything complicated like that -- is to pay attention to what TRULY nourishes your inner being. This is much deeper than happiness; this is not about some sense-pleasure that may last a few moments but then fade away. This is not junk food for your soul. This is what really FEEDS your being -- not your ego, but you very being.

There are many dramatic movies that are all about this -- the protagonist is seeking happiness in one or many ways, perhaps manipulating or harming or doing "whatever it takes" to find that happiness, but somehow, they never experience it; until they stumble, accidentally and shockingly, upon what really nourishes them -- what really gives them the integrity that they were searching for.

In your life, pay closer attention to what really nourishes you -- not to what simply "makes you happy." Start to notice the experiences, events and perspectives that really give you a sense of grounded wholeness.

You may be VERY surprised to learn what these are -- shocked, even!