But before I discovered the answer to this crucial question, finding that path was my continual quest. And though my journey to finding true happiness wasn’t especially unusual or always easy, it’s definitely been exciting, excruciatingly beautiful at times, and always rewarding. Early on along the way, I became a mother and wife; one of the most daring and fulfilling adventures of my life! Over the next many years, despite my best efforts at relationship, failure to sustain a sane, loving, and workable marriage merged somehow with the despair of a million disappointed dreams. Eventually, this created a painful yet necessary catalyst for radical change; I still intuitively knew true happiness was possible, but I felt sadly defeated in the bewildering search for it and only just in time recognized how totally lost I'd gotten. One unbearable night, I found myself sobbing uncontrollably on the tiled kitchen floor, literally pulling my hair in despair. It was a clear choice point: find a new way forward or go crazy. The following morning I wisely reached out for help and set about finding a guide. There turned out to be many. I began taking tentative steps, studying and practicing with one awesome teacher after another; people who had created detailed maps to happiness or who seemed to have actually found it themselves…
Deepak Chopra, Wendy Maltz, Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, Jeremy Sherr, John Gottman, John Welwood, The Dalai Lama, Byron Katie, David Wallin, William Lee Rand, and Peter A. Levine, to name some of the most influential...
They nurtured, challenged, and inspired me. I opened to countless astounding insights and clarifying realizations through this long and nourishing period of growth and exploration. Yet despite all my studies and practice, even though I'd done tons of my own "work" through years in therapy, as a participant at intense seminars and teachings, and while learning powerful skills to deal with any difficult experience, I continued the search because something still felt lacking. I went on to earn certifications and licenses so I could share what had helped me with others:
· Conscious Breathing Coach
· Conscious Relationship Transformation Coach
· Body Centered Therapy Coach
· Classical Homeopath, CHP
· TM and Quantum Sound Meditation – 35 years experience
· Massage Therapy, LMT
· Expressive Therapy, CET
· Holistic Health Practitioner, HHP
· Reiki Master
· Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie
But as helpful as all this was, to others and myself, I realized I still hadn’t found true happiness. Because I was still suffering at times, and I didn’t know why. Yes, I had seen mind expanding truths through all those years of searching, studying, and practicing. And yes, I’d discovered practical, reliable ways to soothe and transform the body/mind’s more disturbing and difficult feelings, beliefs, and sensations. And certainly, I knew these were all still valid truths and useful methods. But curiously, it wasn’t until I was fortuitously invited to dinner one evening, by a particularly wonderful friend, that things started to become clear. Over a simple, lovely meal, she generously shared a bit of information that quickly lead straight to my finally understanding the source of true happiness and the cause of all suffering. It was like finding that final piece of the puzzle, missing for years, as you suddenly saw it just peeking out from under the couch...
..a sudden thrill of wonder, quiet elation, and the realization of what this means...how having this one piece will show you the whole picture you've been working on and waiting so long to see. For awhile I wondered how it was possible I'd continually overlooked what is now so clear and has so obviously been here all along. But I've discovered there are understandable explanations for why the direct path to true happiness goes unseen by most, even though it is available to all and is always accessible. I’m just so thankful I've finally found what I kept intuitively searching for, but couldn't yet see..the direct path to what I now call the Golden Zone. My job from here on out is to pass this information along, and to help those who are still searching recognize the true happiness, imperturbable peace, fulfilling love, and eternal beauty of who they truly already are. Here's to finding! Mollie Shea
