“What makes you happy or unhappy is not the world and the people around you, but the thinking in your head. As well search for an eagle’s nest on the bed of an ocean, as search for happiness in the world outside of you.”
– Anthony De Mello (The Way to Love, Page 6)
Imagine a busy street fair filled with people. It’s a day with perfect weather – a light breeze, humidity that’s just right, and a temperature in the 70s. There’s delicious food all around and beautiful art to see. And yet, the people at the fair have different experiences because of two things:
- The content of their thoughts
- The emotions they feel
One person may feel joy because they know the importance of their internal state. They cultivate it every day. However, another person harbors thoughts of fear and anxiety because their thoughts are eating them alive. Worries consume them.
Two people in the same external circumstances, but they’re experiencing drastically different lives.
This is why it’s so important to meditate, reflect and cultivate our minds and emotions in a positive direction. Being in an objectively pleasant environment never guarantees happiness.