5 Types of Happiness: Steps to lasting unconditional joy

When you think of the word “happiness” what comes to mind?

Maybe you see yourself earning millions of dollars or finally getting married. Or maybe it’s the simple things like watching the sunset or reading your favorite book while cozying up on an autumn night. 

Regardless of what that looks like, I would like for you to take a moment to visualize yourself experiencing it now.

What are the sensations that arise in your body? Notice the parts of you that come alive. Notice the depth, the intensity, and the texture of how happiness feels inside your body. Does the happiness last? Or does it quickly fade away before the mind says “this isn’t even real”…. 

This quick glimpse you just felt was a form of mind-based happiness. I know it feels good but we cannot stay for so long in it.

Soon enough, life will happen and your mind will bring up scenarios of what’s still wrong or is not good enough in your life.

But don’t worry my love, because in this article I’m going to show you how there are actually different types of happiness and depending on where you are deriving your happiness from, the world you live in will change based on that.

And you will also get to discover how it is possible to be happy regardless of what’s happening in your life.

Sounds crazy right? But it’s actually not, it’s the type of happiness that saints and mystics of ages have mastered. And here you will find out how.

Level 1: Mind based happiness

This is the type of happiness we just started this article with. It’s fun, it’s easy, but it can also be fleeting. I call it “surface-level” form of happiness because we don’t have to do much to experience it. 

In fact, the modern day and age is rife with such cheap forms of happiness (perhaps even worse than the visualization practices).

Because these forms of happiness make your brain be high-jacked with dopamine and then make you feel worse afterwards— think of ultra-processed foods, drugs, alcohol, endless social media scrolling etc.

Yet most people find themselves “stuck” at this level because they are familiar and readily available.

And by doing so, we cut ourselves off from higher levels of happiness that are actually possible for you. 

Note: visualization practices like what we did earlier can actually be level 3 (see further below).

The only reason why I put it here is because some people  can use visualization/daydreaming to procrastinate, by-pass, and avoid the physical reality where life is actually happening. This only makes us further disconnected from fulfilling the true deep desires inside of us.

Plus, for the sake of showing you an “easy-ish” way of experiencing happiness, I’ve put it in level 1 category. 

Level 2: Outcome based happiness

A level higher up is outcome-based happiness, which is the type of happiness that a lot of people in the motivational, self-help world are after.

For some time, you will find it very exciting and empowering to be at this stage because instead of being the victim of your addictions & circumstances (like in level 1), you are now taking charge of your life and your reality.

So that means instead of grabbing onto “cheap” forms of temporary happiness, you learn to say no to things that don't align with your long-term goals. Or you may learn how to “manifest” your desired goals. With that, you may begin to discover your potential as you pursue outcomes that actually mean more to you. 

However, the drawback of being at this motivational, make-it-happen level is that your happiness is at the mercy of the outcomes you get. Your identity can become so heavily enmeshed with the “results” you get, such that if you don't get what you want, you experience crippling shame, self-judgment, fear, and guilt.

Yet, a lot of people think that these forms of suffering are necessary because they “push” you to try harder and become better.

Until of course, you get to a point where you realize that no matter how hard you work, you just can’t reach the mountain top moment AND the lasting happiness that you’re after. It’s a point where your spirit feels “beat up” because no matter how much you are pushing, you just can’t seem to get to the place of “having arrived.”

This goes on until your soul discovers the next form of happiness which is…

Level 3: Process based happiness

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Once you realize that “results” are actually not the end-all-be-all, and in fact, you will still feel the SAME “off” feelings as before (even after you have achieved what you wanted), your whole world view will now shift.

Here, you will become more interested in who you become as part of the process, rather than what you “get.”

You will also realize that in fact, this form of happiness within the process is actually way more fulfilling because unlike before you are not afflicted by your external circumstances anymore.

Rather, your main focus is on what you can control and you leave the rest to the Divine. 

With that, you will begin to find joy, freedom, and flow in what you do.

You will become so absorbed in what you are doing/ creating so much that it feels as though a Higher Intelligence is acting upon you… and simply all you’ve gotta do is allow it and let it flow through you.

So unlike in level 2, you are experiencing deep ease and serenity amidst the work you do. Personally, this is the type of happiness that I’m experiencing as of now as I write this article and also when I’m engaged in painting and other creative works. 

Level 4: Heart based happiness

Once you get accustomed to living life through flow and ease (at level 3), you will realize that happiness is even more filling and rewarding when you infuse the heart in it.

This means, doing things not just for the sake of your own personal benefit but for the service of others/ humanity.

For instance, instead of trying to seek “love” or approval from others, heart-based happiness looks like simply expressing the truth of who you are and receiving love through it. In business, this can look like not creating content just to “get” the sales but also to serve with no expectations.

And you will see that all the actions that arise from your heart carries way more power, impact, joy, and radiance. For you are no longer acting from the personal limited “doer” who is trying to effort and make-it-happen on her way through. 

Yet, it’s also important to note that your happiness cannot be derived by trying to be a savior, carrying the baggage of other people. Nor can it come from trying to “earn” your way to love.

I’m saying this because sometimes, the ego can often try to use the spiritual cloak of being in “service” when actually it just wants other people to see your worth, greatness, and value of who you are.

For you will see that doing so only cheapens the depth of fulfillment you receive through your acts of giving. 

Level 5: Is-ness happiness

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Finally, as you deepen your awareness of what gives rise to happiness you will see that the source of happiness is actually nowhere outside. It is actually what lives inside. 

As in, when you are looking for “more,” it is actually more of YOU that you are actually looking for.

Or when you are looking for love, it is YOUR love that you are looking for.

Or when you are looking for abundance, it is you searching for the abundance that already exists inside of YOU– think of the abundance of creative ideas, wisdom, and more.

That is to say, everything that you’re looking for first begins from you— including the happiness that you are seeking for. 

And the only reason why we can feel unhappy is because we think we are limited by our external circumstances.

But the truth is, the unlimited Source that lives inside of you is actually greater/bigger/beyond that.

This unlimited Source is capable of loving “what is.” It sees no good vs bad. It sees All as a form of love. This is God’s “I AM” presence who sees no imperfections in this Universe because all is created with love.

The moment you realize how perfection is the fabric of existence, the moment you will awaken to perfect happiness.

And unlike the other forms of happiness mentioned above, the happiness of the “I AM” presence is all-pervading, ever-present, and transcendent.

And unlike the others that are “high,” the happiness of the “I AM” presence is sustainable, subtle, and soft– which is why I like to call it joy rather than happiness.

At times, the sweet nectar of life may fill you up with so much bliss, and wonder, so much that you want to cry from melting into the arms of the Universe. It’s a form of joy that will be different and better than anything else that you have experienced. 

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Essentially, all of what we did above is to expand the source where you derive happiness from– so you can be happy anywhere you are and everywhere you go. 

From what I’ve heard from my clients and that of my own experience, it’s like going beyond “adding” things while still looking from a dirty mirror but instead wiping the lens of how you see reality– so you see perfection, truth, and beauty everywhere you look.

This is what I also believe what Christ meant when he turns water into wine, which symbolizes the Self that is renewed, ever transformed. And with that inner transformation, the world outside begin to reflect your inner “heaven,” almost at its own accord.

My love, if that way of deep inner-to-outer transformation is what you’re seeking for, that is the work I do.

This is especially for you, if you are done with chasing, seeking, and striving for things to make you happy, just to only come back to square one.

It’s for you if you are done trying to “heal” for the sake of manifesting things, only to yield instead unsatisfactory or unsustainable results.

Instead, you want to experience more satisfaction, bliss, and peace and fall madly in love with your reality.

If so, you can find the deep-dive package options here or try out an introduction session for free here.