Finding happiness...Within yourself?

I have had messages that come through with the same meaning from different sources and I am learning to pay attention. One via a Facebook friend's post and that was from Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr: "It's all a matter of becoming who we already are."

Hmmmm.

And then I saw J.K. Rowling on Oprah, and I have not read or watched one Harry Potter movie but I thoroughly enjoyed her fascinating story. But when she said the following, it made my hairs stand up. Oprah asked what her dream of happiness is and she replies, that in the first Harry Potter book, Dubbledorf says to Harry, "The happiest man alive would look in the mirror and see himself exactly as he is."

I have been coming to grips with looking in the mirror and knowing who I TRULY am for a couple of years now. It is a slow process but one in which I am making headway. I am able to see myself more and more clearly and accept all facets of myself even the ones that I think aren't so wonderful, and some of which I am seeing for the first time. I use to think the process was "out there" somewhere. To be "happy" I needed to go out and conquer the world in some way, lose so many pounds, or be exactly on target with life's plans. And you know that saying what happens when you make plans. The messages keep coming and I know now It's about the internal process and enjoying the moment right now. I am treasuring each moment with my children, (And some are easier than others, we are currently on Day 5 of togetherness with George on call and Spring break!!) but I know what blessings they are. They bless my life in ways I could never have imagined before I had them. I love being able to go through the amazement and wonderment of life through their eyes.

And lastly, another quote that is attributed to Marianne Williamson.

Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.

Wow. The love is there. The higher power put it there from the beginning. And the barriers are there from family conditioning and one's own personality. I am digging deep to find it and allow it out with all the pain and grieving that comes with it. But the barriers are coming down slowly.