A product of evolution, the human species is left to experience moments of extreme happiness and extreme lows. We seek to fill our desires in a way that creates a sense of happiness. This happiness, however, always seems so fleeting. We poison our bodies with liquor and seek carnal pleasures. Constantly searching for a way to avoid being alone with our own thoughts. These types of methods are never permanent, as we see the happiness eventually start to slip away. Evolution has taught us to constantly crave these things for a brief reprieve from our suffering. Suffer is human nature, after all. But what if there is another way? Wouldn’t anyone choose exist in a happy state?

The unconscious mind can be our biggest enemy. We wage internal wars, beyond our control. It’s where our doubts start creating problems that are not necessarily there. This type of thinking tends to creep in when our minds are idle, when our thoughts are allowed to run free. Seemingly coming from nowhere, to torture you with thoughts that you wouldn’t normally fret over. It can wreak havoc on you while you are lying in bed trying to sleep. Creating unreasonable doubt and issues, where you never saw any prior.

Leaving your mind idle, without distraction can be a dangerous thing for many of us. Without distractions we are overwhelmed with our own consciousness. It plays tricks on us and can be responsible for our unhappiness. Problems are created in the moments we spend alone that can leave us miserable. It’s almost as if our own mind is against us as it aids in creating this unhappiness inside of us.

Allowing your mind to poison you with these types of thoughts isn’t the only way to live. Finding a way to control your thoughts, erasing the negative ones with more positive thoughts can have a drastic change on your life. While it isn’t an easy path, it is one that can teach you that happiness is not always something you pursue, but rather a state of being.

One of the ways to do this is with mindfulness. Utilizing meditation, you learn how to stop these thoughts from surfacing. You experience life in the moment. Focusing on your breathing, you learn how to push away these thoughts that seem to just pop up. While this isn’t always easy at the beginning, with time you find yourself able to control your thoughts. You don’t allow these doubts to find a home inside you and rather replace them with a sense of peace.

Sometimes, the greatest enemy you will ever face is the one that resides in your own mind. However, when you start to recognize this, you learn there is a way to alter this. There are a number of ways to master your mind, and in turn master your ability to be happy at a moments notice.