“Your happiness exists in one place, and that is inside of you; and it exists in one time, and that is right now.” – Emily Fletcher
Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’ll be happy when…”?
Meditation expert and founder of Ziva Meditation, Emily Fletcher, explains in this 2-minute clip from her full talk at A-Fest, why our all-encompassing need to consume is symptomatic of a bigger issue affecting humanity: emptiness.
We live in a consumer society that is constantly fixated on the end goal — something that is always just eluding us, slightly over the rainbow.
You could fill in the gaps with any number of variables: ten thousand dollars, a shiny new car, an engagement ring, that dream job promotion — it doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that we understand exactly how our need to consume is damaging our relationships, our environment — and our self-esteem.
Because at the crux of any consumerist society is an ongoing, never-ending, permeating belief that we are not enough.
That if we were to just consume a little bit more, to achieve a little bit more, to do a little bit more… then we’d finally be happy.
But there’s a reason why even the wealthiest, most beloved, and seemingly successful celebrities are privy to crashing and burning, despite outwardly living The Perfect Life — and it’s because searching for an external solution to an internal problem will never work.
In fact, the “I’ll be happy when…” syndrome is the mistaken belief that we can consume our way to happiness — notably, to the detriment of our presence, our relationships, and our happiness.
As Emily says, anything we try to fix with plastic packaging is an addiction. If we think that the solution to our loneliness, for example, can be found at the bottom of a takeaway container, then we need to rethink things.
With the incredible past of our modern society, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise, and to let that quiet inner voice fall by the wayside… instead choosing to distract ourselves with gross consumption.
But if you’ve ever found yourself endlessly searching for happiness, but never quite getting there, that small voice within you may be the only one that you need to heed.
If you enjoyed this snippet from Emily’s talk and would like to learn more about living a mindful life, check out our OmHarmonics free mini course.
This free course is designed to help you rejuvenate your body and mind, enjoy lower stress in your life, and find the type of meditation that works for you — so you can live in harmony with your goals and desires.
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Do you suffer from the “I’ll be happy when…” syndrome? Have you ever set yourself external goals to feel an internal void? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Why The “I’ll Be Happy When…” Syndrome Is An Impossible Dream appeared first on Mindvalley Academy Blog.