Have you ever contemplated true happiness?  Isn’t it happiness derived from within?  Isn’t it happiness independent of outer circumstances and other people?   It seems as if few of us lived inner-derived or Unconditional Happiness.  Most of us live what I call ” conditional happiness”.  As long as our expectations are fulfilled we ride high;  but let one or several of the conditions change for the worse – and our happiness diminishes proportionately. One way to free ourselves from this never ending Yo-Yo ride is to stop saying:  You - spouse - hurt me, you - daughter - disappoint me, you - friend - make me sad, or you - bad driver - make me angry.  Or:  The weather depresses me, the economy scares me, our politics enrage me, or my career is unsatisfactory.  What are you - spouse, daughter, friend, bad driver, God, economist, politician, or corporate executive - going to do about that?  What and how are you going to change so that I will be pleased?   Let’s make a gift to the people with whom we interact and to the world at large:  Let’s let them off the hook.  Let’s not hold them or outer events responsible for the way we feel.  Let’s hold ourselves responsible for the way we feel and let’s say instead:  I am sad, disappointed, hurt, mad, depressed, afraid, enraged, or unsatisfied.  And I am going to do something about that!  I am making a decision now and I am setting the new goal that ”nothing is more important than that I feel good”. The only true and lasting freedom exists in the knowing that we create our own reality.  If we were taught that our emotions are choices, our choices, then there would be no need to blame others for our suffering.  For the first time in our life we would be utterly free.  No need any longer to try to control other people or circumstances and events (which is a fruitless undertaking anyhow).  No matter what happens:  We can learn to bring ourselves back into vibrational alignment with who we really are at the core of our being.  We can take steps at any moment and anywhere to open up to the source energy of well-being that is creating and maintaining worlds.  And when we do that, our life will be filled with joy. When we feel good - really good - we are creative, we are clear minded, we are intuitive, we are inspired, we are enthusiastic, we are affectionate, we laugh often, we appreciate ourselves and others, we are strong, and we have fun.  We are in love   in love with ourselves and with life.  Our cheerfulness accompanies us everywhere.  We radiate vivaciousness wherever we go.  Anyone we meet benefits from our joy.   We all remember having had such experiences of living life in the flow.  Wouldn't it be magical to do it more often?  Is there anything more valuable that we can give to ourselves, our fellow-humans, and to the world than to radiate inner-derived or Unconditional Happiness?!  In this state of freedom, we become an inspiration to others and make a most valuable and lasting contribution to world peace.   World peace is not to be found "out there";  it is the peace we feel inside of us.