“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
These words by Mahatma Gandhi are a perfect definition of happiness. When our thoughts, words, and actions are in harmony, there is no dissonance. We feel at peace, and peacefulness and happiness often occur together.
Endeavoring to live according to our values can be challenging. Thinking about and liking the idea of living according to our values is one thing, but choosing to follow our inner guidance, which is shown by our actions, is another. It requires courage, especially when some of our values are not embraced by people we care about, including family members and friends. Sometimes we hold back from making changes that we believe we should make because we fear people will be critical of us, will try to convince us not to change, and/or will avoid us.
I’ve experienced some of these reactions at various times, including when I made the decision to stop eating meat. A number of years ago, I had a dream which clearly gave me inner guidance to become a vegetarian. I had never thought about being a vegetarian before that, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do. Discerning the dream’s message also led to my reading about the many benefits of not eating meat.
When I was planning a visit to my parents the first time after making that decision, I let them know about it ahead of time. My father was especially against my decision and tried to convince me that I was making a mistake. I believe he was concerned I’d be missing nutrition he had been raised to believe was essential, but I also believe he didn’t like the idea of me being different. Eventually my father stopped trying to change my mind, but there were a few months of discomfort between us as he struggled to accept the choice I had made. I have never regretted following my dream’s direction, for there’s no question in my mind that I am a healthier person as a result.
A key Jungian concept is individuation, which can be defined as the inner process where a person grows in consciousness and becomes more whole. We grow in consciousness by paying attention to our dreams and their symbolism, noting synchronicities and trying to discern their possible meaning, paying attention to unexpected occurrences and our reactions to and feelings about them, and trying to be aware of when projection is occurring and what it might be telling us about ourselves. In addition to helping each of us to evolve as individuals, becoming more conscious increases our ability to care about and help others.
Endeavoring to do these things takes time and effort. They are time well spent and effort worth making, for they lead to us to having a more purposeful and meaningful life, a more harmonious life.
