Dive

Something that I will never understand is why, when people seek happiness, they begin their search externally. They try to find it in material objects, in far away places, in the people who surround them. And when they discover that happiness may not be there, waiting for them on the surface, instead of realizing that they need to dive deeper, they just throw themselves further into a spiral of materialistic pleasures; of alcohol, parties, gossip, and possessions. Eckhart Tolle once said,  “You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” Peace, happiness, love. All of these things, contrary to popular belief, all come from a spark that is within YOU. The tragedy is, many people cannot understand that, and for this reason, many people never reach the truest forms of happiness. They never tap into the true potential they have. I understand, though, that it is a hard idea to grasp. We live in a world where we are surrounded by stimulation, desires, temptations, and distractions. How can we ever be expected to look into ourselves when there is so much out there to look at, to explore! But please, listen to me now. Stop. Stop in your tracks. Stop wasting your existence on the petty things, and on the temporary happiness that you have found because of them. Stop this, and begin to turn inwards. Turn, and look into yourself. Look deep, deep into the realms of your soul, into the nooks and crannies of your very being. It is scary, I know. This is uncharted territory. No one has ever been inside of here before, and no compass can direct you in the right direction. But this vast unknown, this deep void of existence, this is real. This is as real as it will ever get. And once you have entered this new world, there is no turning back. The only exit is through the other side. And while, physically, you may be quite stationary during this journey, spiritually and emotionally, this will be the most life altering endeavor you ever embark on, this journey into yourself. You must learn who you are, what you are, and what you stand for. No one except for yourself can determine these things. You have to find your values, ones you will stand by until the death. You must, and you will, discover what makes your soul sing, what makes your mind throb with joy, you will discover what makes you truly happy. You will begin to understand yourself. And I mean truly, really, honestly understand yourself. And eventually, through this understanding, you can finally begin to make peace with yourself. And once you make peace with yourself, then, finally, you will begin to love yourself. To love your mind. To love your soul. To love your very existence. Then, and only then, after all of this, can you enter the outside word again. But this time, you have the cosmic ability to truly feel at peace, to truly experience happiness, to truly love. Only when you find the true roots of these feelings within yourself, only then will you be able to nourish that tree within you, only then will you be able to branch out into the world beyond your own personal existence. If you can get to this point, then you are truly capable of anything. But this is easier said than done. Too many people sacrifice this raw, true depth for an easier achieved, partial existence. They are too impatient, too lazy, to selfish to take the time to give up everything they have ever accepted as truth and to question it, with no guarantee of a defined answer. But it is this mystery, this curiosity, this emptiness waiting to be explored within you, that is where all the answers lie. That is where the truth can begin to unfold. That is where you will learn to exist, to really exist. The universe is inside you.