This is not the title of a new book posthumously written by Dr. Seuss, although it could be. Understanding where you are is built on deep personal insight. It is awareness that where you are in life right now is the result of a lifetime of everything that has happened with you up until now. Experiences, thoughts, decisions, emotions, actions – all have brought you precisely to this point. Right here. Right now.

Take a breath. Let that sink in. How do you feel about you right now?

I’m not referring to the external trappings of life –your house, your car or the school your kids go to or how well they are performing. These are all reflections of your material success. I mean, how happy are you really? To get a sense of your level of happiness, answer these questions: Are you getting the love you want? Are you happy with your body inside and out? Are you doing work that really matters to you? Do you feel connected to your soul? Is there contentment emanating through every cell of your being? If you answered ‘yes’ to all of the above, congratulations! Read no further. You’ve cracked the code on happiness and I hope you share your success with others. But if you didn’t, and would like your future to be different from your present, read on. Life is made up of moments. Every thought, word, and action has brought us to this current state we call ‘now.’ And in each moment lies a choice. The culmination of each of these choices, results in our current circumstance. Buddhists call it ‘karma’ or ‘kamma,’ but the term is frequently misunderstood. It’s not about being punished for past deeds, it’s about making decisions that open up new opportunities. We are each living our own karma every day. Each moment presents us with a new opportunity to not only improve the present, but improve our future. Unfortunately, most of us live our lives out of habit.

“If you really want to be free, you must behave intelligently. It is said that only if the effects are observed can the causes be destroyed.” Sayadaw U Pandita

Is your life made up of habits? Do you repeat the same patterns in your love relationships? As a parent, are you repeating the same mistakes your parents made? Do you have the same unsatisfying experience in work no matter what job you take? Do you want to do something different, but are afraid of change? Have you been on diet after diet and know none of them work? Can you see that you are sabotaging your own success? Sometimes it seems impossible to break the cycles, but it’s not. Our life is within our control and new patterns can be created. How? By cultivating awareness of what got us here in the first place, and becoming mindful of our current choices and decisions.

“Mindfulness destroys the causes that result in a similar mind and body in the future.” Sayadaw U Pandita

How do you become mindful and cultivate awareness so that you can build a different future? I’ve outlined six steps to a meditation practice in “You Are What You Think.” That’s one place to start. Many of my clients have never meditated before and have different notions of what meditation is. But all who have tried it have benefited from the insights they’ve gained. Meditation, sometimes paired with specific journaling, can break the chains that bind you and enable you to experience more happiness tomorrow than you do today.

“There can be no effect in the future if there is no cause now.” Sayadaw U Pandita

We have but one short life. Those who have or love someone with a fatal illness carry this knowledge in their hearts every day. If you too are not living each moment as if it were your last, consider taking a step today that will enable you to make small, but significant changes that will drastically improve the happiness you experience – right here, right now. Wishing you love and happiness always. note: if you would like to learn more about breaking the patterns that may be holding you back from living your fullest potential, email me here. I’m happy to offer a free discussion.