365 Rules to live by 10/23/15

Everyday for the next year I will be posting a new Inspirational Rule to consider living by. I hope you enjoy.
Rule #9 10/23/15

Happiness is not for sale.

Regardless of what you heard, you can’t buy happiness, yet we find ourselves searching the aisles, shelves, and pages of eBay in search of something more, anything tangible to fill the void of our souls. We have convinced ourselves that the proper clothes, shoes, car and home will somehow make us better people; happier people. We think that the right salary and benefits will sooth our deepest souls longing for satisfaction. We could search all our lives for anything exterior yet we will ultimately land at the simple truth; stuff will not make us happy—not in the long run, anyway. At best, material things will temporarily pacify us, they will serve as a distraction from the real goal; happiness comes from within.
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We spend countless hours building our career, growing a family, and pursuing new experiences. These are all worthy endeavors if they are important to you. However, we must also make the time to cultivate our internal state of mind. When we attach our happiness to someone or something we allow the risk of losing that type of happiness, as it is outside of ourselves. It’s great to have goals and want to change the external part of life, but keep in mind that without an inner lever of peace and joy – happiness will always be fleeting. ~Will “Story” Rivera