Today my 16 year old son came to snuggle our golden retriever in the sun puddle that pours through my study window. I don’t know why, but I asked my son what he thought was the most important question to ask yourself every single day.
For me, I ask all the yogi questions of myself like “Who am I?”, “What do I want?”, and “How can I help and serve?” Those questions have been imbedded in my brain from my days with Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. To be honest, I ask myself these same questions every single day and I might just be in the habit of asking, but not really contemplating. Ten years post Deepak and I still don’t know who I am. I frequently know what I want, but I’ve gotten used to the Universe taking it’s sweet old time and so the second question bores me. I mean, does it really matter what I want if some cosmic organism has truly taken over my destiny?
Mostly I just focus on helping and serving. If nothing else, it distracts me from the insanity of my own existence. When you help others with their problems, your own become small. It’s made my life rich beyond measure and my problems seem like small pranks in comparison to some of the stuff I see people go through.
I digress though…back to my son.
My son replied that he thought the most important question you could ask yourself in any given year, week, day, or moment is “Am I happy?”
Of course I challenged this Buddha boy pointing out that happiness was a fleeting emotion and by simply asking the question, weren’t you making yourself aware that the happiness would diminish and a less happy emotion would enter. I mean, it’s not possible to be happy all the time, right? If the answer were no I am not happy, then you would just run from one thing to the next, right? What about the work you must do to transcend the emotions of unhappiness to get to happiness? huh?
He said no. He hugged his dog, patted her on the head, looked me straight in the eye and explained so simply that if something made you unhappy in any moment, you just change it and yes, he said, you can be happy almost all of the time.
As he walked out of my study, I realized I have done a good job with that boy. In any given moment, simply ask yourself, “Is this moving me towards happiness or away?” The flips and flops of the heart are the soul’s message that you are on your path, or not. Embrace happiness.
*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.