Happiness is the Path to Happiness Pilgrim

by Michael Corthell

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path. Which means the life given to you by God is 'good', always. And being happy with the journey back to him and your spiritual existence is your happiness. The wise among us make the best use of every episode in life, good or bad to experience the joy of oneness that is having Faith in our creation and our Creator.

 Pilgrim's Progress, from This World, to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan is about that path. Written in 1678, Pilgrim's Progress is purported to be the first novel penned in the English language. It is a story about the journey of awaking, and an interesting read and I highly recommend it.

How do we, who are on this path through life, first come to the understanding that our life is a journey of learning and preparation? It is difficult and can seem complex—at first. (It is complex by the way, but that is the 'backend of the business' and God's got you covered on that, no need to worry about how all the complex interactions of this puzzle work together perfectly, in seeming disharmony to a good end.) All that will easily understood by us all when we return home to God.

''Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.''

—Franklin D. Roosevelt

If we spend our time struggling with negative, excessive worrying, or hopeless thoughts, we're practicing unhappiness. But, if we spend our time noticing and acknowledging this negative mindset, without judgment, we can then choose (our lives are a series of choices) to turn our attention to the positive which will in turn lead to happiness and sense of peace.

Happiness is a state of mind. It is generated by a positive state of mind. How can we find happiness in a life of pain? Some people are blessed with little pain and discomfort, (seemingly) while others experience it continuously?

People like Helen Keller and Anne Frank, two of my favorite heroines, understood perfectly well that happiness is found in and on the path. Helen took the 'lemons' offered her and make some of the best 'lemonade' the world has ever tasted. She trusted and accepted God's will for her lesson plan. She learned it well and taught it well. God bless her.

Anne took hate and overcame it with love, and through acceptance of God's love for us all. Her eyes were on God's prize. She knew that the path to that destination was joyful in its purpose. Her awaking to the Truth. She said, ''Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.'' and more profoundly, ''I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.'' How can we not love her for suffering to teach the world this lesson?

You many have noticed that these two woman shared some things in common:

Faith and Acceptance. Yes, they believed in God, an all encompassing mighty and loving God. AND they accepted His will for them. They both knew that God designed a plan specifically for them. A plan that was a path or pilgrimage for them to learn something. Acceptance? Yes. Love? Yes. The purpose? To become like Him. To love. Period.

God is THE creator. He created us to create also— to create all sorts of things from houses to novels, to songs. To be like Him. As I stated above, it is all a complex 'backend' business, one that God Himself takes care of, but we are free to try to understand it, all of it. For me that's the fun of it, that's the discovery, the learning of something new—constantly.

Life is indeed a journey of discovery. Learning to not only love the God of love but to love all that He created.

If you accept that there is a loving God, who designed not only the spirit and living soul that is you, but also the path for you to take to your eternal enlightenment, you will find that this path itself is the happiness you've been seeking.

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Life is a Journey of Freedom and Creation
by Gazmend Kapllani