What are the secrets of a happy life? Judith Fertig explores this age-old question in our feature article, “Life Lift: Being Happy from the Inside Out.” As I have continued to ponder the matter, I have come to better understand how each one of us achieves and experiences happiness in our own way.

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to daily happiness is the often harsh, critical judgment we receive from others, especially those we perceive as closest to our hearts. In working to please others and make them happy, how many of us place our own dreams and aspirations on the back burner? How many times have we silenced the inner voice urging us to follow a more fulfilling path or daring us to expand the scope of our contributions?

I greatly admire and respect the courage it took for Dr. Eben Alexander, the bestselling author of Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, to step outside the mainstream medical world that he knew and bravely write the book, in which he describes the near-death experience that took him on a journey into spiritual realms beyond this world. Click here to read our interview with the renowned neurosurgeon.

While I was deeply moved by Alexander’s insights and fascinated by his description of the experience, the most profound point for me is that he now believes that our primary purpose here is to manifest love and compassion. This foundational message resonated with my inner knowing, leading me to reflect on how simple and true it is, yet how difficult to accomplish. It is easy to be kind and helpful when things are going well for us. But when life gets hard and complicated, feeling an upwelling of loving compassion can be difficult, especially towards someone that we feel has wronged us.

True forgiveness is letting go of a hurt we might have previously considered unforgivable, by realizing that wounding darts are a manifestation of another’s fearfilled, suffering soul. Such understanding is the basis for generously demonstrating our own largeness of spirit, which enables us to compassionately forgive and move on. We let love outweigh the wrong. Such expressions of goodness help move us to an inner conviction of deep and sustained happiness that nothing can unseat.

In love, joy, health and peace,

Gabriella Buchnik, Publisher