The fact that I’m happy is unknown to me—because I’m surrounded by the illusion of the past and future. These illusions occupy my awareness and pull me away from the present moment. And when I’m caught in the past or the future, I begin to experience a cloud of unpleasant events, which feel real and overwhelming. As a result, I lose sight of something fundamental: I am, interestingly, already happy.

Because happiness is intrinsic to me, these imagined events only create a layer that makes it seem like I’m unhappy. So I begin to pursue happiness—forgetting that it’s already within me.