Happiness means different things to different people.

For some of us, it’s having a great relationship, for others, it’s being truly fulfilled in their work. Some people feel happiest when they are of service to others.

There’s no one way to be happy, and yet true happiness is an internal state of happiness that can be defined in the same way for everyone.

Happiness comes from learning to know what is most meaningful and fulfilling to us in life and prioritizing that over everything else.

When we do that, we feel the happiest and most content regardless of any other challenges we’re working through in other areas of life.

So, if it’s that easy, why don’t we do it?

Life is busy and we live in a complex and demanding world where so much is possible that, at times, we might feel different priorities competing for our attention and time.

When this happens, we may feel unsure, overwhelmed, and internally fragmented by what we perceive to be the demands of life.

In order to preemptively address and resolve moments of confusion, uncertainty, and overwhelm, it can be really useful to spend some time defining for yourself what is most meaningful and fulfilling to you.

When you identify, from a space deep within yourself, what brings you the most happiness and contentment, and prioritize that amongst everything else, it becomes easier to remove the distractions in your life, that don’t necessarily bring you the most value and happiness, and to feel deeply fulfilled without feeling pulled in many different directions.

In next week’s article, we’ll be sharing with you a process of marma, an ancient Ayurvedic technology, that’s been used for thousands of years to help bypass the conscious mind, and enter the realm of the unconscious and superconscious where you can answer your deepest questions.

One of these questions being, of course, ‘what do I truly want?’

Until then, we’d love to share with you a story by Dr. Steven R. Covey, ‘The Big Rocks of Life: First Things First’, which really helps illustrate the value of prioritizing your unique intentions and life situations that will bring about more happiness, inner peace, and fulfillment in your life.

“One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.

As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

What are the big rocks in your life? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others?

Remember to put these Big Rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all.”

You get to choose what you put in your jar!

Looking for a fun and enlightening event to add value to your life in the next weeks to come, visit our events page at: www.dexterandalessandrina.com/events

With love from Islamorada,

Alessandrina & Dexter