Let's face it, we've been tricked!

All those shiny ads promising instant gratification, the perfect body, endless likes, and that elusive "must-have" item? They're selling us a quick fix for a problem that doesn't exist.

You see, somewhere along the line, we confused fleeting pleasure with true, soul-deep happiness.

We think, "If I just had that [insert object of desire], THEN I'd finally be happy." Newsflash, my friend: It doesn't work that way.

Look, I get it. We crave the good stuff – a fatter bank account, the latest gadget, a beach vacation that makes your Instagram followers drool. It feels like that's where happiness hangs out, just waiting for us to get a little closer.

But here's the deal: True happiness, the real-deal, deep-down soul-warming kind is a bit of a diva.

It won't show up on your doorstep like an Amazon package. True happiness doesn't care how many likes your last post got (mine got 1 😉). See, happiness isn't that weather app on your phone, shifting with the winds.

True happiness is that which makes your days hum with a quiet joy.

It often likes to play a wicked game of hide-and-seek. The more we grab and chase after fleeting moments of pleasure, the more it slips through our fingers like sand. It teases us from afar, and we often mistake it for something more superficial or attainable.

You know the feeling I'm talking about, right?

That quiet contentment, the peace that washes over you even when things aren't picture-perfect? That's true happiness. It's a long game, not that instant hit of dopamine you get from another sale notification at Kohls (in case you’ve never noticed, Kohls is ALWAYS having a sale!).

So, how do we get this elusive happiness to chill with us?

It's not about chasing, it's about cultivating. Think about it like tending to a little internal garden. We gotta get to know our soul, what makes it tick. Some of us find that through quiet moments, some in the roar of creativity, others in acts of kindness. That happiness is in there, it just needs time and intention to bloom.

The truth is a bit of a paradox: True happiness waits.

It waits for you to get quiet. To ditch the endless scrolling and listen instead to the faint whispers of your own soul. It waits for you to see beyond what the world shouts as "important." It waits for your priorities to rearrange, and for you to make space for moments that make your spirit soar.

True happiness is a feeling you cultivate, a state of being you tune into. And when you do, you'll find it's been waiting for you the whole time. 🙂