I would like to share my own personal recipe for happiness. This recipe is sure to bring you the utmost pleasure and joy in life. Side effects are a more peaceful life, less stress, and an overall wellbeing. This recipe came to me at the beginning of my spiritual journey and has been my guide ever since, even though I would stray from the recipe from time to time as we all do. This recipe only has three ingredients, and the steps are very easy to follow. This recipe is only guaranteed to work if you follow it exactly while any and all substitutions will dismantle the entire recipe. All three ingredients are required so none may be removed. Adding any ingredients will inevitably lead to a longer time for this recipe to come to fruition than necessary.
This is a tried-and-true recipe, and it is time to share it with you. Take this recipe or leave it, just as you would any other recipe. If it sounds delicious and easy to make, go for it. If it sounds too complicated, no need to bother yourself with it. We share the recipes that we Love with the people that we Love as a way of sharing ourselves and we have no hard feelings when our recipes simply don't sound appealing to everyone. This recipe has brought me plenty of joy and I know that it will bring you just as much joy if you are willing to give it a try.
Ingredients:
Love God
Love Self
Love Others
Instructions:
Love God means to Love whatever God it is that you believe in. If you don't believe in God, it can be the Universe, Mother Earth, or Love itself. The importance of this ingredient is to understand that you are not alone and that you are taken care of. Very often in this world and especially while on the spiritual path we can feel alone and isolated. This ingredient helps us with our feelings of loneliness. It also teaches us to put trust into something greater than ourselves. It helps to show us that all is well.
Love self means to Love thy own self. No need to explain just how many of us are lacking any form of self-Love and practice self-harm on a daily basis. You are just as worthy of Love as anyone else in the universe so believe it and start treating yourself how you deserve to be treated. Don't know how to Love yourself? We live in a world where any information we need is at our fingertips with a simple search. There are a million ways to practice self-Love, simply find what works for you and go all in.
Love others means to Love everything and everyone that is considered "other" than you. This is not limited to humans but applies to everything and everyone within the external world. If you are not sure what falls under this category, just ask yourself "is this me?" and if the answer is no, then it is "other". This ingredient has multiple purposes, many of which won't make sense to you, and you don't really need to know anyway. Just practice Loving others and the meaning will be revealed when the time is right.
It is VITAL that these ingredients are treated equally in every way. These ingredients are not ordered in any way shape or form. All three are to be practiced equally and without prejudice. There can be no hierarchy or order for that would be changing the recipe and as stated prior the recipe will not work if it is changed. Love God equally to Loving self and equally to Loving others. All three Loves are equal in every way.
Lastly, we should explain what Love is as to weed out any ideas, opinions, and concepts of Love. Whether or not you are religious and whether or not you believe the Holy Bible to be true, there is a very accurate description of just what Love is within the bible. Most of us have heard it and some of us have used it in our wedding ceremonies.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[a] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
- Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV)
Love does not contain judgement and Love does not contain condemnation. Love is not hierarchal. Love does not choose sides or favorites. Love is not a reward or a punishment. Love is eternal, Love is unconditional, and Love needs to reason. Love just is. Love God, Love self, Love others unconditionally without exception and without end. If you follow this recipe all of your woes will fade away into the abyss and you will be left with a feeling of bliss that you once knew but forgot existed. Time for this recipe to be complete will vary between individuals based on conviction and effort put into the recipe. For some this recipe could be instantaneous and for others it could take years. It all depends on the individual. As long as you follow the recipe, you will surely find the happiness that you seek. Love and Peace!