Ananda – The Bliss of Being

We all have beautiful plans for this life, things we want to achieve, like a degree in something, getting our dream job or at least one which is paid good, being able to afford a specific lifestyle like traveling a lot or living in a big house, starting a family some day and being able to care for it; basically anything that comes in your mind when you hear the word “goals”. We all have our individual goals and it’s important to have something to live and work for, something that gives our life a purpose, and that we passionately can pursue. When we follow our dreams we consequently create a flame of passion in our hearts, which helps us to push further, stay focused and persistent, but we need to be cautious and make sure that its smoke doesn’t blind our eyes for what’s right in front of us.First of all our goal in life should be to be happy. Today and right now, in this exact moment. Not only when we have fulfilled our dreams or figured out our life.

In Sanskrit there is a word called “Ananda“, which describes a state of unconditional, profound and interminably happiness deeply rooted within an individual. Unlike “Sukha“, which is caused by transient pleasures and depends on outside factors like circumstances, material things and people, Ananda doesn’t depend on anything. It is a decision you have to make, something you have to create for yourself. Like an inner home you have to build. Something which can’t be taken away from you, no matter what.

So, how can you achieve this strong spiritual level of happiness?

Ananda necessitates awareness and your willingness to be totally present. Open your eyes and notice how far you’ve already come and where life has taken you. Free yourself from worries over the future. When I say this I don’t mean forget about your goals, I mean let all the things you still need to figure out inspire you, instead of intimidate you. Open yourself for the beauty right in front of you. See what each moment, and each day have to offer and notice how opportunities unfold the moment you stop trying to control everything and instead allow yourself to go with the flow of life.

Happiness is not a destination, it’s a journey

It’s a decision you have to make each and every day. It’s the decision to try to be the best version of yourself and to be authentic and honest towards others, and especially yourself. Celebrate the fact that there’s no other you on this planet, which means that nobody can tell you how you should be.
Moreover you should invest in your happiness. Literally. Consider on what you sped your money, and make sure it is mainly for sustainable stuff like experiences (travel, concerts, knowledge) and things you benefit from on a health level (good food, yoga lessons etc). But also invest time in your happiness. Each day grant yourself some alone time, in which you can reflect about your day, about your behaviour towards others and yourself. Meditation is also very helpful. Concentrating on your breath allows you to clear your mind and open your heart space.
Moreover be picky! Be picky when it comes to the people in your life. Be picky when it comes to your dreams, don’t settle for compromises when there is still a chance to get exactly what you want. Be highly selective when it comes to your thoughts. Your mind is a powerful powerful thing and it is always up to you if you let it bring you down or if you use it as a tool. In each situation you have the chance to choose between thoughts that make you feel slightly worse or slightly better. So go and higher your frequency!
Another very important tip I can give you guys, that helped me on my journey, and still does, is definitely gratitude.
Gratitude shifts our perspective from everything we lack to everything we have and are.
It highers our frequency and we automatically attract more things in our life to be grateful for. So let’s practice it in our daily life! Start and end your day with gratitude. In your head or on a sheet, list things you are grateful for. That can be your loved ones, your health, a postcard your received, the fact that you have free access to food and health care, a new job, great plans for the future, time to take a walk outside, just anything that comes in your mind. Get creative on this! I also like to thank the universe/ god/ Allah/ Shiva/ life/ whatever for things that haven’t happened yet. I love to use law of attraction this way, because it’s always working for me. If that’s too abstract for you don’t worry, I’m sure there are still a lot of things in your life to feel thankful for.

But sometimes life is a storm. How are we supposed to feel Ananda when everything seems to go wrong?

Imagine life like the weather. As something we can’t control. We can estimate what will happen next, and we can plan what to do with that, but sunshine or storms will surprise us anyway every now and then. Both have something to teach us, and we must pay close attention to what that could be. In any case “we must bring our own sunshine, not matter the weather”. I’m sure you heard this a lot and it is something you should really keep in mind.
Being in a state of unconditional interminably, happiness does not mean that your emotions get reduced to positive ones only. There are still things that piss you of, you still cry, you still get angry and you still have fears. But it’s all about how you deal with these emotions. It’s about your willingness to face them, to welcome them and see what they have to teach you. It’s the trust in yourself that you can deal with whatever life throws at you, without letting that affect your inner happiness and your love for life.  And let’s be honest: I never met a single person who was profoundly happy, without a good reason for that. Most of the times it are the big challenges in life, the storms and tsunamis that allow us to grow and unfold our true strength. So let’s appreciate them even more.

A few weeks ago Allie Michellel posted this as a caption under one of her photos on instagram and I think it explains the flow of life very good:

We say go with the flow because life comes in waves. A few months ago nothing felt quite right. I was uncertain and felt stagnant, like I was living on autopilot or something. I remember talking to my mom about this and she said, “this too shall pass.” I brushed it off at the time because we have all heard this phrase over and over again. A few months later I was in Hawaii reconnecting with nature and surrounded by some of my favourite people. I was cloud 9 happy. Again I told my mom about how amazing I felt and she smiled at me and said, “this too shall pass.”

As much as we’d love to, we simply have no control over life. The only things we have control over are our mind, our behavior and our attitude towards life. Therefore it’s counterproductive to worry about things that don’t go our way or worry about all the things we still have to achieve. Let’s slow down and radiate trust, love, and optimism. Let’s fall in love with the fact that life is full of surprises, and that we can choose who we want to be and what we want to do with these surprises. Let’s celebrate the fact that we are so very alive and let’s enjoy Ananda– the bliss of being.

I hope this blog post inspired you in some way to love life and yourself even a little bit more. When you have tips or want to share things that happened to you on your happiness journey write them in the comment section . And of course always feel free to leave a bit of your love and your soul there. Stay happy! Your Lotta x