Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul~Democritus The Soul, Revealed On the backdrop of the scenic Lake Louise, I want to share a reflection about the "soul." What is the "soul?" This question is not about religion. It is about discovering the depths of who you are beyond what you can physically see. This is an age old question that still mystifies us today. Greek philosopher, Aristotle defined it as the psyche and Plato believed it was how we controlled our behavior. Contemporary thinkers offer variations of the same which tend to return to the essence of a person. For example:

Do you wonder if you suffer codependency? Are you dependent on someone or something else that is undependable? Are your identity, value and purpose dependent on the approval someone else? If so, you qualify as codependent. The good news is that you can lose codependence and win your independence.

I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success. ~ Joyce Meyer Are you waiting for your bliss breakthrough or are you willing your bliss breakthrough (What Does Living a Blissful Life Mean?)? Have you ever looked back and thought, “I was on the brink of my breakthrough, why did I give up?” For many of us, we never know how close we are to our bliss breakthrough because we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel shining on the path to our dream. But, if you did see the light, are you ready to make significant change in your life?

What barriers keep you from experiencing bliss? Are you holding on to sadness, disappointment, or hopelessness rather than focusing on an outlook of bliss? Do you feel like no matter what you do all roads lead to melancholy? Many of us can think of a long and distinguished list of barriers to our bliss.

Nothing is permanently perfect. But there are perfect moments and the will to choose what will bring about more perfect moments.~Mary Balogh Bliss Only Takes a Moment Have you ever stopped to think what you can possibly accomplish in a split moment? Have you ever looked back at a moment and thought, “Geez I was feeling really happy in that moment”? It only takes a moment to create a profound, persistent satisfaction and a sense of well-being. It only takes a moment to create a positive feeling of immense fulfillment and joy that springs from within and without. While it is not something you can just pick up at the local Walmart or order online, you can choose in a split moment to create bliss.

A toxic relationship can be defined in many ways. In essence, it is a form of emotional abuse played out by someone with whom you are in a relationship. As result of being subjected to this behavior, it may trigger fear, uneasiness, unhappiness, depression, or even posttraumatic stress disorder. Being in a toxic relationship is unhealthy, a leech on your spirit and in every way an obstacle to living a blissful life.

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life--to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting? ~ George Eliot, Adam Bede Happiest Places On the backdrop of the beautiful Caribbean ocean, I want to share a reflection on relationships. The popularized tagline of Disneyland is "The Happiest Place On Earth." For many Disneyland may very well be, but, consider something much deeper like the space between you and another, especially close relationships. Eric Weiner, the author of the book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, observed, “the happiest places on earth are not internal ones. They are not geographical ones. It’s the places between us and the closer they are the more at ease we are the happier they tend to be.”

In the garden of friendship is where we cultivate love. Choose your friends wisely and the love that grows will be a blessing. ~Unknown Choosing Friends: Friends Affect Your Life What affect have your friends had on your life? Does your attitude improve when you are with them? Do they reinforce your goals? Are you inspired by the lives they lead?

Do you feel accepted by others? Are those in your life supportive? Do you have a strong inner circle of friends? When life has you down, do those you thought would have your back come through? Do you have an authentic sense of belonging?

It seems the older we get, the tighter our inner circle becomes. When life has you down, some of those you thought had your back run, others . . . sometimes strangers surprise you and fill that empty space up. Oh, but life has a great balancing act and when that axle turns and you are right side up again . . . you will definitely not be looking for any long, lost "friends" because your inner circle is battle-tested to win! ~ Sanjo Jendayi Forging a Healthy Inner-self Are your energy levels high? Do you attend to your physical fitness? Do you feel self-assured? Are you confident? Forging a healthy inner-self does not happen overnight. It is a life-long journey of discovery. Because life can be a zany ride, it has a tendency to leave you vulnerable to negativity and self-doubt. And, if you allow it, it begins to erode your mental and physical strength, inner power of trust, reliability and confidence in your ability to accomplish things in your daily life. Believing in and feeling good about yourself is paramount to forming a healthy inner-self.