There are two main blocks that people have from being their happiest, most peaceful, loving selves possible. And it really comes down to two different types of people.

The First Block: The People Who Think They’re Happy (But Aren’t Truly Happy)

The first type of person thinks they’re happy, but they’re not really happy. This is the kind of person we all know. They always have to be doing something. They have to keep going, go, go, go. If their life stops for a moment, that’s when the crisis and panic begin. And they think this isn’t a sign of unhappiness; they think it’s a sign of energy and loving life. And if that is done mindfully, with self-reflection, that may be true.

But usually, it’s a coping mechanism.

When something traumatic or catastrophic happens in our lives, we can avoid dealing with it by diving deeper into work, deeper into technology, deeper into our passions, hobbies, or entertainment. And while it may look like living a full life, we cannot reach our happiest, greatest potential if we are running away from something inside us, if underneath the surface are decades of unhealed and unprocessed experiences.

We see this so often with people who can’t retire, or who can’t enjoy time with their family, because they must always be doing something different. What’s next is always more important than what is here and now. It becomes an endless chase to avoid the present moment. And for a lot of people, it works.

But there is a greater potential for those who are willing to stop running.

When we can actually deal with that trauma, when we can sit in peace, when we can love stillness, then we discover a new level of energy. We bring calm, centered, spaciousness into the rest of our life. We create a stillness for our loved ones to share in, instead of a constant escape from ourselves.

The Second Block: The People Who Believe They Shouldn’t Be Happy

The second type of person who becomes their own worst enemy is the person who believes they shouldn’t be happy. And this is far more common than we realize.

These are the people who hold on to grudges, who believe that hatred, self-righteous anger, pride, and feelings of superiority are forms of strength. They mistake these for happiness.

But that is a much lower level of happiness than the joy that comes from loving everybody, being at peace with ourselves, and living without inner war.

The addiction to chaos prevents us from breaking through. 

But when we let go of that endless game of comparison, we finally reach our true levels of happiness — peace, bliss, love — so profound that no addiction, no negative behavior, no cruelty, and no sensory pleasure can compare.

Unwinding the Blocks

When we unwind both blocks, the addiction to constant motion and the addiction to anger, we recognize that neither of these brings real happiness. Constant entertainment and excitement don’t make us truly happy. Anger doesn’t make us truly happy.

Then we are free to explore the path toward lasting bliss, that permanent state of consciousness that is present, peaceful, and grateful. And that is the whole point of life.

Most people believe that a good life leads to a good mindset. This is completely untrue. It is the opposite:

A happy mindset creates a good life.

When we are grateful, we naturally see every blessing that surrounds us. When we are stressed, worried, anxious, or fearful, we cannot see any blessings at all. We overlook our safety, our health, our loved ones, and every good thing in our lives. Everything becomes irrelevant. Everything becomes invisible. We only see what we don’t have, what we might lose, or what we crave.

Just that simple shift, from stress and worry to gratitude and optimism, completely transforms our life. No matter how successful we are, no matter how good things may look on the outside, if we have no gratitude, we have nothing. We have no strengths, no sense of security, no emotional stability.

But when we have gratitude, we have no downsides.
We have no fear.
We have no lack.
We have nothing to constantly worry about.

Nothing in our external life changes, but our mindset does.

And that changes everything.