On being Happy

 I came across this quote today from  Elizabeth Gilbert's book, 'Eat Pray Love' and loved it!!

"I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works.

Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.

You fight for it

Strive for it

Insist upon it

 
and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations for your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

I especially LOVE the reminder in this to "participate relentlessly in the manifestations for your own blessings" and to continue to pray "even when your crisis has passed". Simple words but SO effective in the pursuit and attainment of happiness!!