Thank you for the tag @Clawde ! I love the input from forum members - it so great to have such a great community!

Without the intention of being a spoilsport, I just wanted to put it out there that although it’s great to be happy, it IS OKAY to sit with feelings of sadness, loneliness etc. 

Why I’m sharing this is that I used to believe that my one ultimate goal in life was to be happy and if I wasn’t happy all the time, it meant something was innately wrong with me. Of course, try as I might, I fell far short of this one all-encompassing feeling, and hence lived in misery as a “failure”. 

Over time, my quest for happiness ceased, and this is when things began shifting. I only then realised that happiness was NOT the overarching feeling - all feelings have their place.

Now I can truly say I have deep satisfaction, contentment and happiness in life…. plus all the other feelings too!

@Clawde , I am so grateful to have you on the forums. I appreciate all your posts and the insights you bring.