When seeking happiness, I find a tendency among people to go with a top-down approach. This is most apparent in those with religious leanings, though atheists and others do the same albeit under the guise of replacing "god" with science. They believe that some God , philosophical belief, spiritual movement, or political cause will imbue them with a sense of purpose, belonging, and in a sense "happiness." Such thinking will most likely lead to suffering.To start off with , I firmly believe happiness is a state of mind rather than a goal or destination. What people are often seeking is a combination of contentment (which in itself tends to produce an apathy towards life and progress) , financial and emotional stability, meaningful relationships, and a sense of purpose. These come not from the outside ( in most cases) but from within. Inner strength becomes the key to unlock the doors of opportunity previously withheld from us.
Like the Great Pyramids , or the dainty flowers, all things must start from the bottom and grow upwards. Only when the roots are strong can they support the stem. Only when the stem is strong can it support the beautiful flow. Only when the flower is healthy will the nectar flow. Begin at the ground and work upwards.
Too often my mind is so enthralled with attaining higher conscious and such that I forget about the basic tenets of achieving my goals. I must cultivate the simple to obtain the grand. For instance , what good are interesting ideas and thoughts without the skills to communicate them in an entertaining fashion to others?
I will elaborate on this further in the future. At the moment my thoughts are everywhere, the primordial ooze of my consciousness only barely prepared to give birth to this idea.