Happiness: A Spiritual View of the Subject — YouTube from the CEC Library

Let us talk about a fundamental topic: happiness from a spiritual perspective. What really is happiness? Have you ever stopped to think about it? What do you believe you need in order to be happy? When you look at your life, do you consider yourself happy, or do you feel something is missing? What would be necessary to increase your happiness? Today, talking about happiness is especially relevant because we frequently hear more about depression and anxiety. Some people mention that they need certain external conditions to be happy. Others say that effort and evolution make them happy. Some seek the healing and release of loved ones. Still others talk about the importance of family, peace, and health.

There was a survey of the millennial generation, those born in the 1980s and 1990s, asking what they needed in order to be happy. About 80% mentioned money, and many also cited fame. This reflects the perception that money and recognition are factors in happiness. Others mention health, success, relationships, family, time, and the fulfillment of desires as essential.

Each of us has a different view of what we lack in order to be happy. It is important, however, to understand that what we truly lack may be related to our evolution. We are driven by desires, which propel us but also keep us in a constant search. We fulfill one desire, and another soon arises. If our happiness depends only on fulfilling desires, it may be difficult to attain.

The real issue is that we are confused about what happiness is. Few of us experience stable, balanced happiness. We are all seeking this happiness, and it is this search that moves us. No one says they do not want to be happy. The search for happiness is universal. Reflection reveals that many people, such as coworkers who compete for positions or individuals who work excessively, are seeking happiness but may be confused about what it really means to be happy. For many, happiness is associated with material or professional achievements, with the belief that once they attain them, they will finally be able to dedicate themselves to what truly matters, such as family and spiritual growth.

It is important to adopt a more understanding perspective toward others, recognizing that everyone seeks happiness, even if in misguided ways. When someone speaks badly about another person, for example, they are seeking personal worth, believing that it will bring happiness. Yet this search often occurs amid great confusion about the true meaning of happiness.

True happiness can be seen as synonymous with evolution, and it is important not to confuse happiness with passing moments of joy or euphoria. Happiness is something constant, associated with peace and love, not emotional highs and lows. Moments of euphoria, such as a sports victory or a party, are only that: moments, not true happiness.

Emotional stability, which is not characterized by peaks of euphoria, is essential to true happiness. Happiness is more closely related to linearity and calm than to intense, passing moments. Spiritual evolution can be measured by work on the chakras, and many people are still focused on the emotional chakras, which can lead to confusion between euphoria and happiness.

A Harvard study conducted over 75 years investigated what makes people happy. Participants were chosen from different social and economic backgrounds, including Harvard students and residents of poorer areas of Boston. The study began with 724 men and today includes more than 1,000 people, among them wives, children, and grandchildren of the original participants. The study revealed that the happiest people are those who have quality relationships, regardless of their financial or social situation.

These findings show that good relationships are fundamental to happiness. Although the study does not address spirituality directly, it aligns with the view that happiness is connected to spiritual evolution. The quality of relationships is an indicator of happiness and evolution, reinforcing the idea that the path to happiness is also the path of spiritual evolution.

Let us talk about relationships and their connection to evolution. What does it mean to evolve? Growing is not merely having clairvoyance, praying, or performing charitable acts each week. Evolving means freeing oneself from emotional charges, from the anchors that hold us back. People with quality relationships are happier, but this is impossible if you are controlling.

Who can relate well to someone who is jealous, passive, aggressive, or dissatisfied? If you have good relationships, you have probably already eliminated some of these characteristics from your life. Few people are completely resolved and evolved, without these difficulties. Evolution is a path, and people with fewer emotional charges are happier. Happiness is not about walking alone or having an ego. Guilherme says that since he began working seriously on his evolution, he feels less unhappy each day. This means that as we remove negative items from our lives, we move closer to happiness.

When you react less to situations that once bothered you, you feel lighter and happier. The path to happiness is to be less bothered and to work seriously on personal evolution. Until we reach an evolved state and are in the heart chakra, we will not be completely happy, but we are on the path. Harvard studies show that only 10% of what happens to us determines our happiness; the other 90% depends on how we respond. Shawn Achor also wrote the book The Happiness Advantage. It is therefore a choice to be assertive and evolve. We cannot leave things bottled up; it takes training to speak and act assertively.

There are difficult and painful issues, but there is a difference between pain and suffering. Pain should be temporary, a lesson for change. For example, when I burned my arm on a snack warmer, I felt intense pain, but it was temporary. The pain lasted a few days, and I may still have the scar. Persisting in pain would be suffering. We should see moments of pain as opportunities to learn without remaining in suffering. This is the true path of evolution and happiness.

We can ask helpers for help in leaving the cycle of repetition and spinning our wheels, in which we never feel complete, happy, or at peace except for brief moments. There are aspects of our lives that we need to remove, such as emotional charges. At night, make a list of everything that weighs on you and what you represent to others. Feeling anger or jealousy, for example, does not bring happiness. Write everything down: whether you are passive and cannot express yourself, or aggressive and explosive, regretting it afterward. These are aspects to be eliminated, and therapy can help us see them. On the path to happiness, we must also add positive elements. What can I do to improve my well-being? Therapy is one option, but this is not about control; it is about overcoming.

In addition to removing negative items, we need to add elements that promote well-being and happiness. Gratitude is an important concept, but it should not be practiced mechanically. The idea is to write down at least three new things for which you are grateful each day. This trains the brain to focus on the positive instead of merely reacting to dangers and challenges. Our brain is accustomed to fighting or fleeing, but when we look for three new reasons to give thanks every day, we change our focus. They do not need to be big things; they can be small gestures, such as a smile or a kind word. Even in difficult times, such as during the pandemic, there are lessons and reasons for gratitude.

The pandemic is an example of how 10% is what happens to us, but 90% is how we respond. Many people decided to respond differently, embracing this change. Therefore, every day, write down three things, even if they are painful, to change your perspective and promote happiness. Pain is a catalyst for significant change. If you go through a painful moment, consider being grateful for it and ask helpers to help you understand what the experience is revealing and what doors to happiness it may open. Besides giving thanks for three things each day, write about something that made a difference in your life. This exercise activates well-being and the release of positive hormones, helping you see life differently.

Albert Einstein said that there are two ways to live: believing that no miracles exist or that everything is a miracle. We should see life as a daily miracle, not in a mystical sense but as an opportunity to make choices that bring us happiness. Constantly ask yourself whether your life has meaning. Do not wait for ideal conditions before seeking meaning; organize yourself to prioritize what really matters.

Practice doing good through willpower, but not to feed the ego. Doing good releases dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and connects us with the area of the brain responsible for empathy. One study showed that donating money to organizations one believes in increases the sense of well-being by activating areas of the brain associated with pleasure. It was conducted in the United States by two Brazilians; volunteers decided whether to donate five Brazilian reais to organizations they believed in. The search for pleasure should not be limited to food or sexuality, which can attract negative spiritual influences. Good deeds are a healthy source of well-being. There is no need to begin with grand gestures; small actions, such as listening to someone or sharing knowledge, are valuable. Sharing enlightenment is a powerful way to do good.

Besides practicing gratitude and seeking meaning in life, move beyond the ego and do good without needing external recognition. Energy and one's level of happiness speak for themselves. Meditation and the Daily Assistential Task are practices that keep us in the present, where true happiness resides. The time to be happy is now, not in the past or an uncertain future.

Observing the here and now is a path to happiness. The Daily Assistential Task (TAD) is a commitment to stop for ten minutes each day, at the same time, to exteriorize and donate energy to spiritual helpers. This exercise keeps us in the present because, while donating energy, we cannot become distracted by everyday concerns. Although it may seem difficult because the mind does not stop, it is an ongoing exercise. Evolution, synonymous with happiness, is a daily achievement. Each day, we can improve, become more grateful, and focus on the present, taking advantage of opportunities to be happy. True happiness is an inner state, not something external that can be taken away. We should seek and attain it daily.

To answer the question about being happy alone: I believe we can. We do not need a partner to be happy. Even when alone, we are accompanied by our spiritual helpers. Happiness does not lie in neediness or needing another person, but in sharing and connecting with people who share our values. Finding a group that thinks similarly brings happiness. This also happens at St. Damian and during activities of the CEC. Happiness is spiritual evolution. Spiritual pain is stagnation in evolution, creating blockages. We are a combination of the physical, spiritual, and emotional, and these charges accompany us beyond the physical body.

I propose an ongoing gratitude exercise. Over time, gratitude will become natural, and the entire day will be filled with gratitude, leading to happiness. Doing good is pleasurable and motivating. The search for pleasure is not bad; what matters is how we seek to compensate for our neediness. Doing good releases dopamine and positively affects others, promoting balance.

Growing and identifying whether loneliness comes from neediness or self-pity is essential. Finding groups and activities that fulfill us is fundamental. We find fulfillment and happiness through work and connection with like-minded people. There is no emotional loneliness when we find our path to happiness. What may be necessary is finding paths, people, and work that share your vision of growth.