We go through life and say, if only I had this, when I get there, I’ll be happy. Maybe he’ll change. Maybe she’ll change. This is the energy of Elsewhere. It’s like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz who says to Dorothy, go this way. We are always wanting to be somewhere else. When I’m here, I want to be there. When I’m single, I want to be married. When I’m married, I want to be single. When I have a 9-to-5, I want to be free. When I’m free, I wish I had stability.
This, again, is the energy of Elsewhere. When we finally get to “Elsewhere” and arrive at something we think we want, Elsewhere still continues. This is the energy we live in.
But here’s the thing: I remember Krishnadas told a story about when he was looking for enlightenment. He went to India, and after long travels—plane rides, climbing mountains—he finally met his Guru. And what did they do? They took a nap. After the nap, they drank tea. Then they took another nap. And when they woke up, they drank tea again.
There’s a secret in this: Be here now. When you drink the tea, drink the tea.
Being here now is about feeling—feeling everything. It’s about being in your body, embracing the reality of what is. Sometimes reality really sucks, like during a storm, a death, or a trauma, and we want to jump out of our bodies, to be in that somewhere else. But when we do that, the trauma lingers as residue in that elsewhere, manifesting at a different time.
If we stay here, now, feeling everything, even in trauma, we start to appreciate what we have. This is what trauma and storms give us. Here is my glass. I’m thirsty. It’s been a long night, I’ve lost so much, but I really appreciate having this drink. I appreciate taking a breath. I appreciate my friend being there.
That’s when we learn it’s the simple things, the small moments, and the things that really, really matter in life. It’s not about Elsewhere; it’s about being here now. When you get there, you’ll get there.
The secret of happiness is being fully here and appreciating everything as it comes, even when it’s painful. Because in that pain, you will receive a gift: the ability to appreciate the smallest things, maybe just your friend being there. That’s the secret to life.
