Happiness begins with yourself

 How often do we rely on externalities to satiate our craving for emotional fulfilment? We have completely  outsourced the entirety of our well-being and happiness to factors comprehensively beyond our control! This primarily stems from a lack of awareness about our inner self. The consciousness which pervades our being demands ardent perennial satiety emanating from the outside to boost our ego. This, however, does not reflect upon our sanctum sanctorum. It is vital to check upon ourselves to see if we've been hollowed, inside-out, in our abject rush for extrinsic affirmation. Neglecting to nourish our spiritual self, which then harps upon the slightest of verklempt baits and becomes giddy and recalcitrant to reason.

It is easier said than done though! How are we supposed to manufacture happiness inside us when the whole premise of the world we live in is based of off external validation? The commodification of joy wrapped beneath a fine veneer of materialism constantly demands that we inject ourselves with contentment by splurging constantly on fleeting vessels of fulfilment. If we aren't satisfied with ourselves, no amount of cajoling and cheerleading from all and sundry will keep us in good spirits.

"Expectation is the root of all heartache"... opined Shakespeare, perhaps envisaging the chaotic times that humankind shall find itself in. We are unequivocally dependant on expectedly expecting happiness to be perpetually delivered by the participants of our interpersonal relationships. Whilst doing this, we place an inordinate amount of burden on our coterie to anticipate our needs and wants, sometimes, even without being expressly vocal about them. Consequently, when the behaviour of our inner circle is naturally not as appeasing to the ego, the interactions become unpalatable, and fraught with conflicts - with the ties often deteriorating at a breakneck speed to annulment.

What is the way forward then? Where there's commitment, there's bound to be a modicum of bundled expectations to go along with it, and that's fine as long as it doesn't cross the blurred line of unreasonableness. Who defines what's reasonable and what's not? Anything that forces you to act in a predetermined manner so as to elicit an inevitable reaction from others is bordering on unconscionable conduct. It is important to be unconditional in the discharge of demeanour and not just proclaim selflessness to sound morally upright. Giving without reciprocity is the noblest of gestures, and also the most arduous to accomplish and inculcate.