Are you happy? Are you living the life you were meant to? Are you willing to make necessary changes? Are you dwelling in the past? Are you stuck in the future? These questions are not always easy to answer but need answers. Find these answers and eternal bliss shall be yours!

How does one find these answers? Simply look within. It is said that we must look within  our own dwelling place to find answers to our own. What good is it to worry about another’s home, when your own is in disarray?

A gentleman was walking down the street when he encountered a friend on his hands and knees. Clearly he was looking for something. Regardless the gentleman asked, “what are you looking for?”

The man replied, “I lost my keys to my car and didn’t know where else to look.”

“Where did you have them last?”

“Why, in the house of course.”

“So why are you looking out here?”

Foolishly the man answered, “well, my power went out and I couldn’t see in the house. Looking outside, there was a street light and I thought I would look where there was light.”

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Why don’t you go back in the house and try finding your keys again? It may take longer but the results will be far more rewarding than you’re looking out here.”

This story is just like ours. Often we look outside for the answers that dwell on the inside.

If we take the time to look on the inside, chances are that the answers will show themselves in due time. With a little trust, everything will surely turn out as expected. But whose plan? Have you ever heard the saying, “Want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Things may not go exactly as we plan, but guaranteed they always go as planned.

Another gentleman loses his job. At first he thinks his life is over as he falls down a trail of misery. He rolls out of control down the hill of misery, until he hits his head at the bottom of the hill on a broken opportunity. Knowing that he has the ability to fix this, he goes on to build a new business on this broken opportunity.Years later he receives an award for community service, recognizing his contributions to society through his work.

Would any of this have happened had he not lost his original job? No. We often do not understand why things happen but end up being the greatest thing to have happened. Why? If we had not fallen to the bottom, we would not know that an opportunity awaits us atop this darkened pit.  As we climb out of this bottomless pit, we realize there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The key to happiness…is merely accepting it. It is a lot easier to go through life loving what you do. My suggestion is this…find something you love to do and do it! Whatever has happened to you thus far, has gotten you here thus far! Chances are they even made you stronger. Just the mere reflection of our past, good or bad, we realize we are who we are because of the past. How about showing a little respect to the old you?! Give thanks for the many abusive lessons endured! Give thanks for the many miracles that have taken place in your life. Just give thanks!

What about the future? How do you know there will be a future? What if today was your last day? What would you do? Chances are you would do something else. The key is to seize this moment as it were the last, and the next one…and then the next one…and then the next one…infinity.

Learn from the past, but don’t dwell in it. Look to the future, but don’t get trapped in it. Be in the moment, for that is all you’ll ever know.

No matter how dark the night, somehow the sun rises once again

and all shadows are chased away.

~ David Matthew

Stepping into the Canvas with gratitude for the footsteps before and after. It is better to have an attitude of gratitude for all the paths we have taken, for they have led us to where we are now. Equally important, it is necessary to always keep our headlights on even in the darkest of times, so that we may find our way into the future. All the while, we must stop and reflect at where we are…because at that given moment, that is all we have…Say it with me…Ani Po (I AM HERE)!