Happiness and serenity are linked to the present moment, which requires fully appreciating what is happening now, within ourselves and in our environment. Nevertheless, many of us do not achieve this state because we dwell in the past or become preoccupied with living for a “better” future. When we project or stake our happiness on the hypothetical achievement of future circumstances, we sabotage our ability to be happy in the present; this reinforces a self-destructive mindset that will likely persist into the magical “future” we are hoping for. To release ourselves from this trap, we must shift our perspective toward a spiritual reality that resides in the now. And it is this spiritual reality that has the power to transform pain into joy.
