Happiness

Is your happiness in landing your dream job with the dream pay? Or is it finally owning that Chanel lambskin purse? What about meeting the man/woman of your dreams? Or let me guess, during the 90's when hip hop was in it's champagne era, more intellect and minus the bling? What about losing the last ten kilos/pounds you want to lose? You just know it will be healthier for you and also boost your confidence, then ultimately make you happier with your life, right? Everyone has a specific thing they are either consciously, unconsciously or even denying, that in their mind- it would actually make them feel like "they've made it" or simply more "complete". What I have been questioning a lot lately is life and our endless mission for happiness. Is life about "chasing the dragon's tail"? The phrase referred to a heroin addicts life. From the very first try of the drug, the high so unbelievably pleasurable and escapist from anything and everything (apparently), that the entire addiction (which most addicts never truly escape from) is the mission of getting that first amazing high. Only the drug doesn't work like that. The first high can never be replicated thus the life of a deteriorating addict, who is tricked by this drug and convinced that they might have a chance at getting that high again. So "chasing the dragon's tail" is a metaphor for chasing something that really isn't there. Could it be that we get addicted to the superficialities of life and expect some kind of miraculous happiness that could only be obtained once we got what we think will make us happy?

Woah, Ange! Getting a little too serious there! Well you can blame it on my discovery of a book that was recommended to me by a friend who knows I can get a little philosophical on life sometimes. The fantastic book I'm reading now is "A new earth. Awakening to your life's purpose." By Ekhart Tolle. The one and only Oprah loved this book so much she did a ten week live web series with Ekhart Tolle in a class format (for free, just as long as you have internet access) where anyone from all over the world viewing the show live at the time on the Internet, could go live on Skype and ask a question to Ekhart and Oprah about the book and it's concepts. Besides having a cool name, the author Ekhart, is also very cool as he refuses to be anybody's guru. In a nut shell, the book delves into awakening to a consciousness that is within ourselves that is the secret to happiness. It's a pretty profound book so far (I'm up to chapter four) and can only be really understood by people if they are truly ready for it. In one of the web shows Oprah mentions a viewer saying something along the lines of "I don't feel the need to be awakened, what can this book teach me?" Oprah's answer was "Go read another book." It's funny, but so true. It's just one of those things that you either get or don't.

I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in self development. You don't necessarily have to be religious, but having a curiosity about spirituality and deeper issues such as your own happiness could be prerequisites to liking or even understanding this book. If you feel a little stuck in your life, always wanted to know what it would be like to stop complaining about life and just accept it- this book is for you. You can also download all ten sessions for free on Itunes, just look up Oprah and Ekhart Tolle. In my opinion, I think we are all students of life and it's important we never forget that, but it's also the beauty of it.