How can one find everlasting happiness?

We all want to be happy, but nobody seems to know how to be happy. What most of us think is happiness is brought in our lives by different triggers. Something that makes one happy may not make the other happy. For instance, one may be happy being close to the sea while someone else may be scared of it. But regardless, each has his own happiness triggers. The whole world seems to be living by the 'pleasure-pain principle' – which states that we are all attracted towards pleasure and we all shun pain. But the most important question is, "Is everyone happy?" No doubt some people are happy some time, but not everybody is happy all the time.

Primarily, there are six steps to Happiness –

Step 1: Desire to be happy.

Step 2: Finding out what makes you happy (happiness triggers).

Step 3: Pull the happiness triggers and be happy.

Step 4: Eliminate joy stealers (anger, jealousy, worry) and avoid being unhappy.

Step 5: Bounce back from tough situations with faith, hope, and enthusiasm.

Step 6: Choose to remain happy always!

There are many people who live miserable lives. To them, life is full of problems and difficulties, and burdened by these challenges, they find it difficult to smile. On the other hand, there are others who are cheerful and enthusiastic. They live life as if it is a game, enjoying each day. Some people believe that happiness depends on their past actions, while others believe that it is their present actions that will decide their joy index. Some believe that happiness is related to luck, fate, chance, while others prefer to pluck happiness with their own efforts. Different people believe in different philosophies of life. Yet one thing does not change – everybody wants to be happy!

To equate wealth with happiness is wrong. Having more money doesn't translate to more happiness. If wealth created happiness, then the rich would be glad, not sad. Happiness is a state of mind. One cannot become happy, one has to be happy, moment by moment. Unfortunately, we depend on products, places and people to be happy. Wehave desires and wants, and not all our wants are fulfilled. We associate happiness with achievement. If our dreams come true, we become happy, or else, we are disappointed and disheartened. We experience joy because we move forward on the first peak of happiness – achievement. Achievement gives a "kick" – an instant gratification, immense pleasure that creates happiness. But achievement does not create true happiness because the joy experienced from achievement istransient. We only want more and more, and our greed overtakes our need.

If we want to discover a better way to live life,we must exit the first peak of happiness. As long as we continue to seek happiness on the first peak, we will never discover the more enduring happiness on the second one. The second peak is fulfillment which is based on contentment. On this peak, people are far happier not because they want more and have more, but because they are content and satisfied. This state is far more blissful than the state of achievement.

But is fulfillment the ultimate peak? Trekkers know that while climbing a mountain, they can't see the peak beyond. Only on reaching a peak, one gets a glimpse of what lies ahead. Most of humanity doesn't even know that there is a second peak — the peak of Fulfillment. They live and die on the first peak of achievement. But beyond fulfillment, is there another peak? Is there really a third peak of happiness? Yes, there is. But not many people talk about it, because most people are ignorant about this peak.

What is this third peak all about? It is about Liberation from the several prisons of misery. It is about knowing the cause of this misery and understanding the truth of whowe are and why we are here. Finally, it is about achieving freedom from the prisons of misery. Less than 1percent of humanity goes on a quest for the Third and ultimate peak of happiness – liberation. Liberation is freedom from stress, worry, anger, greed, and revenge; freedom from duty and shame; and liberation from old age, disease, death, and rebirth. The third peak of happiness or liberation is the realisation of the truth which is attained by the removal of the darkness of ignorance that exists in humanity. This gives us uninterrupted contentment and fulfillment, joy and bliss, peace and tranquillity. A true seeker transcends the desires of the mind and the body, and moves towards liberation. One who has realised the self and is liberated, progresses on the journey of the third and ultimate peak of happiness. A liberated one experiences Ananda, which is ultimate, everlasting, eternal joy and peace.