When we can’t access our inner resources, we come to the flawed conclusion that happiness and fulfillment come only from external events. Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

Good morning! I don’t know about you, but I have made this mistake before. I have spent time continually looking for happiness in the external. The problem with that search is that our happiness becomes co-dependent. Instead of having a well to draw on from within, we require external events to “lift us up.” Not only is that unfair to the events or people we are relying upon, it is unfair to ourselves because the happiness we create is conditional

We all deserve unconditional joy and happiness within our own heart. We deserve to have that sense of peace internally, regardless of what is happening around us. The intensity of that happiness might fluctuate with what our external world offers, but it is there nonetheless.

Sarah is very accurate in her assessment. When we can’t (or choose not to) access our inner resources, is when we look to the external to “fill us up.” Since we can’t figure out how to create the reality we need, we turn to others and ask or expect them to do it for us.

To break out of that mold, we have to access our inner resources. We have to learn the skills to turn our questions inward instead of outward. We have to accept responsibility that happiness begins right where we are, not outside of where we are.

How do we do this? There are many things in life we can’t or don’t control, but we do control our attitude and our perceptions. After we accept that fact, we create a space in our life to access those inner resources. We create quiet time, reflection time. We engage in activities that promote self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-reflection. We feed our souls with positive affirmations and positive people. We turn away and don’t accept the negative into our thoughts and perceptions. We embrace that which nurtures us, we reject the rest.

Your Turn:
Get out your calendar and schedule in a space for self-reflection and self-discovery. Choose to look inward versus outward in order to begin discovering lasting joy in your daily life.

Your affirmation:
Within me is everything I need to experience lasting joy.