“Do what makes you happy”

This is a terrible piece of advice. But it’s what we say in our culture. Actually, it is what we are comfortable saying at the table. I mean, how are you going to argue with someone finding happiness?

By doing what makes us happy we are essentially pushing all the bad feelings away and running towards the good ones. When things are not working I can always run to money, cars, sex, drugs, friends, a better job, even art to make me happy.

Consumerism has been indoctrinated, ingrained in our culture. The problem is that hole can’t be filled. We always want more or something someone else has got. When someone has everything they often feel hollow and empty inside. There are lots of people with money that are poor.

The alternative is to learn to sit with the feelings we have. The good, the bad, the ugly. To become an observer of our feelings. To breathe and become mindful of our thoughts and actions. To think about our thought patterns. And to become really acquainted with who we are.

Not to walk to find peace but instead, to be at peace with every step. There is no search. Start right here, right now where you are.