by Craig Hawkins

Created on: July 01, 2007

The meaning of life can be summed up in one word: 'happiness'. But to search for happiness within the universe as if it is a real force or entity that can be grasped, this would be a fruitless endeavor. There is no happiness 'out there'. The only happiness is that which we ourselves make, it is an inside job.

We make our own happiness in the world through what we do and not what we get. The latest video recorder or stereo, may lead to a temporary state of 'drug-slug' happiness... but it is exactly that temporary.

The universe doesn't care and the universe is unaware. The universe is just a swirl of non-thinking atoms. Some of those atoms combine to make up you and me. But there is no mindfulness in existence, other than the mind of man. It is the individuals mind alone that allows for perception, that leads to conceptual awareness in the context of human language.

Without mind there is no meaning. Because without mind there is nothing to do the reasoning. The universe without mind is thoughtless, because the universe free of conscious awareness is unaware. There can be no happiness in an unaware state. Happiness by definition must be aware of something to be happy of, and without mans mind, happiness would not only be redundant it would be impossible.

So, if the meaning of life is happiness and happiness can only exist in mindful awareness, then to create happiness one must think. What one thinks leads to what one does. Happiness is an effect caused by previous thoughts that lead to certain actions.

The happiest people are the creators. It matters not whether your creation is a business, a work of art, a musical score... whatever "floats your boat". Thus, happiness begins with germination of thought, those thoughts lead to ideas, those ideas lead to actions and those actions lead to creation. When one is in the creating mode one is in the realm of happiness.

Thus, we arrive at our answer... happiness equals creation and creation equals happiness. Just think back to the times when you were happiest. It is when you are the creator. Any artist will tell you, when they are living in the artistic realm, whether they are painting a picture or writing a musical score, or whatever that creation maybe... They will tell you they are blissfully happy.

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